885,000 HKD
"Star of the East" Louis Audemars, No. 14261. Made for the Islamic market, circa 1880. Very fine and magnificent, 18K gold, enamel and rock crystal-set, hunting cased, keyless pocket watch set with 180 diamonds and with a solid gold champlevé enamel and diamond-set dial. Four body, the ridged band, pendant, crown and bow set with rose-cut and round diamonds, the front cover pierced and set with twelve pear-shaped rock crystal panels intersected by Royal blue and red translucent enameled engraved foliate spokes, round diamond-set border, the center set with a large old mine-cut diamond weighing approximately 3.7 carats and surrounded by old-mine cut diamonds, the back cover similarly decorated and with white enamel dots on the border and in the center. Hinged gold cuvette overlaid with translucent royal blue enamel over wavy-line engine-turning. Solid gold and white champlevé enamel, rose-cut diamond-set Islamic numerals, outer gold minute divisions and diamond dot five minute markers. Blued steel "spade" hands. Notes This watch is magnificently decorated and set with 180 old-mine cut and rose-cut diamonds, the central stone is approximately 3.7 carats in weight. The panels of rock crystal allow the wearer to see the dial numerals without opening the case. The dial is particularly unusual and superbly made, it is a plate of solid gold cut-away to leave the numerals and markers standing proud, the surrounding recess is then filled with white enamel in the process know
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-11-25
