13,750 CHF
Omega – Portrait Of Ras Tafari Omega, Bienne, Genève, No. 6336700, case No. 6931042. Made circa 1928. Very fine and historicaly important, 18K yellow gold and enamel hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch with painted on enamel portrait of Ras Tafari “Emperor Haile Selassie”. Four-body, solid, "bassine et filets", cover with central blue enamel medallion with monogram TM (Tafari Makonnen) surmounted by the Ethiopian Crown within a laurel leaf frame on a radially engraved ground, the hinged back cover with a finely painted polychrome enamel portrait of Haile Selassie in royal blue dress and surrounded by the inscription in Amharic “His Highness Tafari Makonnen”. d. White enamel with bold radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds, gilt emblem of the “Lion of Judah”. Yellow gold spade hands. m. Fabriqué à Genève, Cal. 38 ., rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Dial, case, cuvette and movement signed. Diam. 50 mm. Notes Cal. 38 M.S. M = Thin S = Hunter (savonnette) Provenance: Omega Museum. A watch with identical enamel portrait is illustrated in Omegamania, by Marco Richon, Chap. 9, p. 35. Another example with movement No. 6336712 was sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, on April 15, 2007, lot 45. Emperor Haile Selassie I (July 23, 1892 to August 27, 1975) Haile Selassie I, who was emperor of Ethiopia between 1930 to 1974, was born as Tafari Makonnen.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2010-11-13
