300,000 HKD
Venus & Cupid Clockwatch Jaquet Droz, London. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1785. Very fine and extremely rare, two-train, quarter-striking, gold, painted on enamel, pearl and ruby-set clockwatch with shuttered winding and cylinder escapement. Two-body, sprung and hinged bezel set with half-pearls alternating with rubies, band decorated with dark blue, turquoise and white enamel panels with gold paillons, the reverse decorated with a painted on enamel scene of Venus and Cupid in a gold paillon border, outer border of dark blue translucent guilloché enamel, half-pearl surround and ruby-set outer border, shuttered winding holes opened and closed by a button in the back of the case. Gilt metal dust cap. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minutes/seconds divisions. Pierced gold Jaquet Droz hands. 39 mm., matte gilt, full plate, cylindrical pillars, two-train with going barrels, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance, pierced and chased continental balance, diamond endstone, silvered regulation dial, strike/not strike selection lever in the dial plate. Dust cap signed. Diam. 53 mm Notes Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790) Born on July 28, 1721 in La Chaux-de- Fonds, he was the son of a farmer who was an occasional clockmaker as well. He studied humanities and philosophy in Basel from 1738 to 1739 and then became interested in horology. On October 25, 1750, Pierre Jaquet- Droz married Marianne Sandoz, the daughter of Civil Lieutenant AbrahamLouis Sandoz. At
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2009-06-27
