Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 15, 2015

LOT 144

GOLD SEALING WAX CASE WATCH WITH CONCEALED EROTIC SCENE French. Paris discharge marks of Jean Baptiste Fouache for 1774-80. Very fine and very rare, Louis XVI, gold, painted on enamel and gilt brass sealing-wax case, set with semi-precious and paste stones, with a miniature watch and concealed erotic enameled scene.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

HKD 167,000 - 250,000 / USD 22,000 - 32,000

Sold: CHF 23,750

Gilded metal body with floral and foliate decoration in relief, two sides with applied silver decoration set with multi-colored stones, hinged two-body varicolored gold top houses the watch, the back set with a painted on enamel portrait of a lady, the bottom of the case set with a dendritic (moss) agate oval panel on one side and a painted portrait medallion of a lady within a frame of ruby-colored stones on the other, the medallion can be rotated revealing a potentially incandescent erotic scene between the lady and a gentleman. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute divisions, five-minute Arabic numerals. Gold Louis XVI hands. Oval, 21.5 x 18 mm., built on three levels, brass, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain three-arm brass balance with flat spring, mounted between the third and fourth plate.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-24-01

Good

Slightly chipped

HANDS Original

Notes

DIM. LENGTH 148 mm., WIDTH 19 mm. A charming Objet de Luxe from the reign of LOUIS XVI. It is rare to find such a small watch in an object made pre-1800. The concealed erotic scene is revealed by swiveling the small portrait of a lady at the base of the body. This object was made to contain a block of sealing wax used for sealing letters and documents. This piece was previously sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, "The Sandberg Watch Collection", March 31, 2001, lot 25. Published in the book of the collection of Lord Sandberg, page 382-383.