Antiquorum in Love, Impotant Horology...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 16, 1997

LOT 109

Zenith, Swiss, circa 1930. "Jupiter et Callisto" Very fine 18K gold and enamel, hunting cased, Art Deco, keyless watch with chronograph and 30 minute instantaneous recorder, in original leather covered fitted box.

CHF 15,000 - 18,000

USD 10,000 - 12,500

C. Four body, massive, "demi-bassine", the band, pendant and bow chased with crossed wheat ears, the cover enamelled with a scene painted in the style of Max Klinger depicting Jupiter dressed as a nymph in order to approach Callisto; outer blue /linque enamel border between white champleve enamelled lines, the back of grey flinque enamel centred with a fine rosette and decorated with leaves and mauve flowers. Gold cuvette. D. White enamel with Arabic numerals, outer minute and chronograph ring, sunk subsidiary seconds and minute registers. Blued steel "spade" hands. M. 18"', gilt brass, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring with micrometric index. Signed on the dial and movement. Diam. 55 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good

Case: 4-18

Fair

Spotted

Movement: 2

Very good

Dial: 21-51

Period

Partially reprinted

Notes

Max Klinger German symbolist painter from the early 20th Centuy. Zenith The company was founded in 1865 by Georges-Emile Favre- Bulle as GEORGES FAVRE JACOT & Cn:. In 1896 Georges Favre- Jacot founded a new company in order to raise capital: FABRIQUE DE MoNTRES GEORGES FAVRE JACOT & Cu. Their main market was Russia to which was destined half of the production. Production of deck watches and pocket chronometers increased rapidly. In 1897 GEORGES FAVRE.-JACOT registered the Trademark «Zenith», to produce watch cases and pocket watch movements. In 1900, as managing director of ZENITU-t, James Albert Favre- Bulle, nephew of the founder, decided to make some radical commercial changes. He opened an agency in Warsaw, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. He looked for new agents in Germany. Zenith was also to be introduced in England. He decided to go back to the tradition of Neuchatel clocks. hi 1904 James Favre was determined to start selling Zenith in the United States and succeeded in doing so by 1905. As always, Georges Favre-Jacot and the Board of Directors of the company did not see eye to eye; FavreJacot wanted to use perfected tools and increase factory space, while the board members were mostly concerned with his large mortgages. James Favre, however, wanted to develop the commercial sector. First he had to face other problems such as the strikes that occurred in the plant. This lead Georges Favre-Jacot to recognize the unions in 1906. In 1911 a serious conflict arose between Georges FavreJacot and the Board of Directors and between Georges FavreJacot and James Favre. Georges accused the Board of being manipulated by James and threatened to dissolve the company. The company became a limited one (Societe Anonyme) and took the name FABRIQUE DES MoNrREs ZENITH until 1925. Georges Favre-Bulle retired in 1911 and died in 1917. At the time of his death, ZENITH had a work force of 600 men and produced thousands of watches annually; these Zenith watches were renowned for fine timekeeping while remaining relatively low priced. In 1918 a commercial agency was opened in Geneva. AL that ti me, they specialized in table clocks and Neuchatel clocks. In 1935 the company was listed as I'A131OQUES DES MoNTRrs ZENITH S.A successors of Georges Favre-Jacot & Cie, Billodes. At that ti me, pocket watches were being made for evening wear and were known as dress watches; they were often gold cased with champleve enamels on the back. In 1957 ZENITH boasted of being one of the few remaining Manufactures, a firm that not only producing its own watches but also that cast its own alloys to make its own tools. That year Zenith had a staff of 800 and used 9,000 machines. Jupiter and Callisto Callisto, whose name signifies the most beautiful", was the daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia. She was one of the nymphs of Diana (Artemis), the goddess representing chastity and in that role was required to be as chaste as the goddess herself. However, Callisto was seduced by Jupiter (Zeus) who, in order to approach her, had disguised himself as Diana. As Callisto bathed with Diana, the latter noticed her pregnancy and sent her away. Callisto was also punished by Juno (Hera), Jupiter's jealous wife, who turned her into a she-bear. According to Ovid, Jupiter then honored Callisto and her son, Areas, in making them into stars, forming the constellations of the Great Bear and of the Little Bear.