Important Collectors’ Wristwatches Po...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 21, 1995

LOT 119

Ilbery, London, No. 6047, circa 1815. Very fine 18 ct. gold and enamel centre-seconds watch with special escapement, made for the Chinese Market.

CHF 65,000 - 75,000

C. Two-body, the bezels decorated with formal motifs in blue, white and red enamel, the back panel with a fine polychrome enamel scene depicting "Orpheus and Eurydice", in the marner of Richter. Engraved gold cuvette. D. White enamel, Roman pour numerals, minute and seconds divisions. Gold dished oval point hands. M. Entirely engraved, gilt Chinese calibre with free-standing barrel, duplex escapement, steel and brass theeearm balance with blued-steel weights, flat balance spring with regulator. Signed on the movement. In very good condition. Diam. 59 mm.


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Notes

Jean Louis Richter ( 1766-1841) learned his art under David-Etienne-Roux and Philippe-Samuel-Théodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His speciality was the painting of landscapes and particularly lake and marine scapes, often representing ships in a harbour or baffles with fighting Men-of-War. He also painted portraits and hunting scenes. Although it may happen that his signature, in running hand-writing, appears on some of his work, more often than not his pantings are unsigned but can clearly be recognised as being in his hand from the style and quality of the work. He applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff boxes and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Raban markets. Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often Pound inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion, such as Van der Myn (1684-1741), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727 -1785), John Francis Rigaud (1742-1820), John Hoffner (1748-1810) and Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), or even from particularly famous scenes such as the "Rape of Helen" from the engraving by Guido Reni (1575- 1642), now in the Cabinet des Estampes, Paris.