Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Jun 06, 2004

LOT 420

Attributed to Le Roy, Au Palais Royal No. 88, Paris, No. 776, circa 1810. Very fine and rare 18K gold and enamel, pearl and diamond-set, hunting-cased "médaillon à tact" lady's pendant watch.

HKD 125,000 - 160,000

EUR 13,000 - 17,000 / USD 16,000 - 20,000

Sold: HKD 126,500

C. Three-body, "Empire", both covers with translucent Imperial blue enamel over sunburst engine-turning, hinged front, revolving back fixed with diamond-set à tact hand, reeded bezels, fluted band, 12 pearls set in fluted gold wire frames for touch hour pieces, alternating with smaller ones for half-hours, gilded detachable cuvette with aperture for dial, winding, and setting. D. Small eccentric white enamel, Breguet numerals, outer minute divisions. Blued steel ?Index? hands. M. 37.9 mm. (17'''), frosted gilt, souscription caliber, four-wheel train, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance with flat balance-spring, brass escape wheel, barrel with additional wheel for setting à tact hand.Diam. 56 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 6
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

This type of watch was originally designed by Breguet at the end of the 18th century. In the spring of 1799 he sold the first one to Madame Betancourt, the wife of his most trusted friend. The next ones followed shortly. Some were with small touch pieces, some, such as this one, with large ones. These were the most expensive watches Breguet ever sold. They very were popular in early 1800s among the wealthy and powerful. The price was between 10,000 and 15,000 francs, a staggering sum at the time. One of the reasons they were so popular was that they allowed the owner, without raising attention, to check the time by feeling the à tact hand against the touch pieces. Le Roy Horloger de S. A .I et R. Madame à Paris, is one of few who followed Breguet and produced very spectacular watches of this type. Le Roy produced one with diamond touch pieces for the Prince of Hesse. See Antiquorum?s "L'art de l'horlogerie en France du XVe au XXe siècle", 14 November, 1993, lot 131.