Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2014

LOT 883

EXCEPTIONAL LARGE GOLD GRANULATION & GEM-SET QUARTER REPEATING WATCH & CHATELAINE Attributed to Moulinie Frères & Cie à Genève, movement No. 4233, case No. 748. Made circa 1830. Extremely fine and very rare, large, quarter-repeating à toc, yellow gold, gem-set, granulation decorated pocket watch with virgule escapement and a yellow gold and gem-set granulation decorated chatelaine.

CHF 6,000 - 8,000

HKD 50,000 - 66,000 / USD 64,000 - 8,500

Sold: CHF 7,500

Three-body, entirely decorated with graduated granulation forming scrolls and flowers set with pink faceted stones, bezel, band, pendant and bow en suite with applied granulation. Gilt-metal cuvette hinged to the movement ring. Matte engine-turned yellow gold with brushed chapter ring, radial Roman numerals, outer brushed minute track, engine-turned center. Blued steel Breguet hands. 45 mm. frosted gilt, standing barrel, virgule escapement with three-arm gilt balance, flat balance spring, index regulator, repeating on the side of the case with two polished steel hammers by depressing the pendant. Case and movement numbered.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2**

Very good

Repair required, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

DIAM. 53 mm. The present watch is one of the most lavishly granulation-decorated watches to appear at auction. It is also of large size and still retains the original matching chatelaine which is a rare survival. The movement is unusual in being fitted with the Virgule escapement - a rarely used and delicate mechanism, instead of the more usual cylinder escapement found in this type of watch. Granulation, a technique using tiny beads of gold, was employed - and probably invented - by the ancient Etruscans, who created jewelry which was highly sought-after throughout the Mediterranean. Most watches using this method employed a technique in which ready-to-apply gold beads were soldered onto the surface, thereby forming the desired pattern.