Important Collectors Wristwatches, P...
Geneva, Nov 16, 2008
LOT 319
Queen Draga of Serbia Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, movement No. 105787, case No. 218396. Made in 1896, sold on August 20, 1898. Very fine and rare, 18K yellow gold keyless pocket watch with painted on enamel portrait of Queen Draga of Serbia, by M. Zasche. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.
CHF 16,000 - 20,000
USD 15,000 - 18,000 / EUR 10,000 - 13,000
C. Four-body, demi-bassine, polished, the back cover decorated with a painted on enamel portrait of Queen Draga Masin of Serbia (1861-1903) by M. Zasche. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel spade hands. M. 19???, frosted gilt bridge caliber, 17 jewels, wolf's tooth winding with Patek Philippe patent No. 1016 winding system of 1889, straight-line moustache lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with terminal curve,Wilmot's patented micrometer cam regulator. Dial, cuvette and movement signed. Diam. 53 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3-20 |
Good Period original |
Movement: 2 |
Very good |
Dial: 2-01 |
Very good HANDS Original |
Notes
Literature: Another watch by Patek Philippe, No. 106148 with an identical portrait of Queen Draga also signed M. Zasche, is illustrated in: Patek Philippe, Geneve, Huber & Banbery, 1993, pp. 138, pl. 71a.
Draga Ma?in (nee Lunjevica) also known as Queen Draga, was the consort of King Aleksandar Obrenovic. She was formerly a lady-in-waiting to Aleksandar's mother Queen Natalija. DragaMa?in was a daughter of Panta Lunjevica, local leader of the Arandelovac area. At the time of her second marriage, she was the widow of SvetozarMa?in, a Czech civil engineer, and was fifteen years older than Aleksandar. Theymarried on August 5, 1900. When Aleksandar announced their engagement, public opinion turned against him. He was viewed as a besotted young fool in the power of a wicked seductress. Dowager Queen Natalija bitterly opposed the marriage, and was exiled by her son, in part because of it. His many arbitrary and unpopular acts were blamed on Draga's influence. There were rumors that Aleksandar would name Draga's brother heir to the throne. This last threat was the final straw. On June 11, 1903, a group of army officers invaded the royal palace, led by the brother of Draga's late husband. They found Aleksandar and Draga hiding in a cupboard and savagely murdered them, throwing their mutilated bodies from a palace window.