Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 252

?The Persian Peacock? Mermod Frères, Genève (Ste. Croix). Made for the Persian market, circa 1870. Very fine and spectacular, 18K gold, carved reverse painted crystal intaglio, turquoise and rose-diamond set hunting-cased keyless pocket watch.

CHF 45,000 - 65,000

EUR 30,000 - 40,000 / USD 37,000 - 53,000

Sold: CHF 74,750

C. Four-body, the front cover set with a large domed reverse painted crystal intaglio of a peacock standing upon a starred globe, cast and chased flower and scroll border, polished band and cast and chased foliate bow, the back cover pavé-set with lines of rose-cut diamonds and cut turquoises, cast and chased flower and scroll border. Hinged gold cuvette. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds. Black steel ?spade? hands. M. 19???, nickel plated, ?fausses cotes? decoration, 15 jewels, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator. Diam. 50 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3-6*

Good

Slightly oxidized

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is decorated with an exceptionally large reverse painted intaglio crystal, beautifully executed and extremely detailed. The combination of the depiction of the peacock and the use of turquoises on the reverse of the case suggest that the watch was almost certainly intended for the Persian market. The Peacock: Seen as a ?royal? bird, thought to herald rain when it calls. Although the tail feathers are much admired for their beauty, the feathers are said to be symbolic of the ?evil eye?, although some experts believe that this belief may stem from Ancient Greece, when to remove a peacock from a temple of worship was seen as a crime punishable by death. Turquoise: From French "turquoise" (meaning Turkish); the original material came from the southern slopes of the Al-Mirsah-Kuh mountains in Iran (Persia) and found its way to Europe via Turkey. Mermod Frères Geneva and Sainte-Croix, worked during the second half of the 19th century, specializing in very complicated, high quality watches and chronometers. See: Osvaldo Patrizzi, ?Dictionnaire des horlogers genevois?, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva 1998.