25,300 CHF
Lars Dd. Baillod cc l'Orient de Neuchatel en Suisse EL 5 rier qL 5"83 le _Same niois de 5793 (1793). Very fine and extremely rare 18K gold and enamel, quarter repeating Masonic watch. Double body, Directoire, the back enamel panel painted with an allegory evoking the Masonic Republic and the advent of the Decimal Republican time, with the Masonic motto "Sagesse, Force et Beaute". White enamel with the twelve principal Masonic symbols in place of numerals. Gold "sun and Breguet" hands. Notes Masonic watches from the end of the 18th century are very rare. They were at the origin of the fashion of watches with decorated dials, much in favour on inexpensive silver "populaires" watches, from 1790 to 1820. Such watches were almost never produced in gold and their decoration was generally very naive. This watch, made of gold, with the painted back panel of exceptional quality, its quarter repeating movement, the Masonic dial, cock signature and inscription, is almost certainly unique.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1997-04-12