Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 13, 2012

LOT 35

MONTRE MYSTÈRE MINIATURE PORTRAIT French, the miniature by Aimée Thibault (1780-1868). Made circa 1810. Very fine and extremely rare, 18K gold, mystery pendant watch with portrait miniature of a gentleman and virgule escapement.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

USD 22,000 - 33,000 / EUR 17,000 - 25,000

C. Five-body in two parts, ?forme quatre baguettes?, polished, the lower case containing the movement concealed behind a fi nely painted portrait miniature of a gentleman wearing a black coat and white shirt and cravat, hinged back cover, the upper case housing the dial, hinged pendant loop. Gilt brass cuvette. D. White enamel with Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 40 mm., gilt-brass, going barrel with cover secured by two screws, maltese cross stopwork, the second wheel geared to an elongated steel pinion which passes through the gold tube into the upper case to operate the hands via the hour and minute wheel behind the dial, virgule escapement, three-arm brass balance, fl at balance spring, polished steel endplate, index regulator with scale engraved on the backplate. Miniature signed Thibault and indistinctly dated 18**. Dim. 69 x 44 mm.


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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

Very few of these early mystery watches are known. The movement itself is housed in the larger lower case and drives the hands by means of a long steel pinion, one end of which is geared to the second wheel, the other end is geared to the hour and minute wheels which are housed in the upper case behind the dial. This watch also has the rare feature of a virgule escapement ? a frictional rest escapement which impulses in one direction only. The fi ne portrait miniature is by the French artist Aimée Thibault whose portrait miniature of the King of Rome (RF30815) is now in the Louvre Museum, Paris.