Antiquorum Auctioneers since 1974

Geneva, Nov 08, 2026

LOT 303

PIETRO DEBAUSSIE, IN ROMA, ENGLAND, ''BLOODSTONE AND RUBY'', POCKET WATCH, 22K YELLOW GOLD

CHF 2,800 - 5,600

HKD 26,500 - 53,000 / USD 3,400 - 6,800 / EUR 3,000 - 6,000 / JPY 540,000 - 1,070,000

TO BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE

Sold: CHF 3,528

A very fine and extremely rare, 22k gold-mounted bloodstone and ruby, manual wind open-face pocket watch, the back carved from a single piece of bloodstone and mounted in gold, the bezel set with six applied rubies in cartouches, with ruby-set thumb piece. White enamel dial with painted black radial Roman numerals and outer minute divisions with black Arabic five-minute numerals; winding aperture between 3 and 4 o’clock. Gold “Louis XV” hands.

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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3-6*

Good

Slightly oxidized

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-71-01

Good

ENAMEL AND VARIOUS TYPES OF DECORATION Hairlines

HANDS Original

Brand Pietro Debaussie, in Roma, England

Model ''Bloodstone and Ruby''

Year Circa 1760

Movement No. 594

Caliber 36 mm., hinged, frosted-gilt full-plate movement with square baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three-arm balance with flat balance spring, double-footed foliate-engraved balance cock and silver regulation dial.

Diameter 46 mm.

Signature Movement

Accessories Accompanied by the original box and a gold and bloodstone watch key.

Notes

Bloodstone Cases in the Mid-18th Century

Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, was highly prized during the mid-18th century for the decoration of luxury objects, including watches, snuff boxes and other precious accessories. Characterised by its deep green colour scattered with distinctive red inclusions, the stone was particularly appreciated when cut into large, richly mottled panels.

The finest watch cases of the period occasionally incorporated substantial sections of bloodstone, carefully cut and mounted with gold. Examples are known from both London and continental European workshops, generally dating from the Louis XV and Rococo period.

Cases made entirely from bloodstone, however, are considerably rarer. The technical challenge of cutting and shaping the fragile stone into the various components of a watch case, while allowing sufficient strength for everyday use, required considerable skill. Such cases represent an unusual and highly luxurious application of the material, combining the natural beauty of the stone with the sophisticated craftsmanship of 18th-century case makers.

The present watch is particularly noteworthy for its case entirely fashioned from bloodstone, rather than merely incorporating bloodstone panels into a conventional gold case. This construction places the watch among the more unusual and distinctive examples of mid-18th-century bloodstone-cased watches.