17,250 CHF
Venus, Bacchus, and Ceres 122 "Les deux frere Huaut pintre de son A. E. de B. a Berlin", circa 1690, movement Andres Förster, Wien, No. 140, circa 1780. Exceptionally fine and very rare 20K gold and painted on enamel pendant watch. Two-body, "bassine", the back very finely painted on enamel with a scene depicting Venus, Bacchus and Ceres from a Michel Dorigny engraving after a painting by Simon Vouet (1590-1649), inside painted with a landscape and a traveler in the foreground, band with four landscape vignettes. White enamel, Breguet numerals, outer minute divisions, winding aperture at 3 o’clock. Brass Louis XVI hands. 33 mm, hinged, frosted gilt full-plate with pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, brass balance with flat balance spring, single-footed cock.Signed on the movement, case signed Huaud. Diam. 40 mm. Notes From the Collection of a French Gentleman The case is so superbly painted that after the invention of the balance spring, the owner had the movement changed for a more modern one. It was a common practice in the 18th century to replace the movement in a particularly expensive or beautiful watch. Examples can be found in numerous museums and private collections. A few years ago, while researching the records of Ferdinand Berthoud, Jean-Claude Sabrier came upon an order from Monsieur Muchain for a movement specially made for his old enamel case. Berthoud made this movement, (No. 2358), in 1789. This proved conclusively that old
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-04-24
