333,500 CHF
The ButterflyIlbery, London, No. 6135, enamel signed V. Dupont f(eci)t, circa 1818.Magnificent and extremely rare 18 ct. gold and enamel pearl-set centre seconds watch with a special escapement, made for the Chinese market. Notes It is rare to find watches with enamels signed by the artist.Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont (1785-1863)a highly reputed painter on enamel and porcelain. His work includes portraits of King George IV, Henry IV, H-B de Saussure, and others. He painted enamels for Ilbery, destined for the Oriental market. He is known for the beauty and elegance of his work, as well as for his distinctive palette, due to the fact that he mixed his own colours. The remarkable manner in which the figures in the foregrounds seem to advance, giving an impression of depth, is characteristic of his art. 'Dictionnaire des Hrlogers Genevois', by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1998.William Ilbery, London (ca. 1760-1839)Active in London from 1780 in Goswell Street, he moved to Duncan Terrace towards the end of the 18th century. Following James Cox in London and Jaquet-Droz in Switzerland, he also specialised in the production of luxury watches for the Chinese Market. His early production was very much in the English style featuring a full plate movement and an English type single wheel duplex escapement. However, for his highest quality watches, he incorporated a Peto cross detent escapement. Later, he used thestandard bridge calibre with free-standing barrel, Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2001-03-31