Family Portraits” Mottu

“Family Portraits” Mottu, Geneva, No. 39722. Made circa 1880. Very fine and important, 18K gold hunting-cased keyless pocket watch bearing 5 painted on enamel miniatures. To be sold without reserve. Four-body, “bassine et filets”, back cover with polychrome enameled coat-of-arms and the motto “In Gott Allein”, front with champlevé initials, inside three miniatures painted on enamel – inside back cover and on the gold hinged cuvette two girls, inside front cover portrait of a lady, all with engraved frames. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary sunk seconds. Blued steel “spade” hands. 41.5 mm. (18’’’), frosted gilt, 19 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, wolf-tooth winding wheels. Movement signed and numbered under the dial. Diam. 54 mm. Notes Three of the painted on enamel portraits are easily viewed; it is said that these are the legitimate wife and daughters of the owner. The two portraits contained in the concealed compartment within the back cover are said to be be those of the owner’s mistress and illegitimate daughter. The present lot was previously sold by Antiquorum Geneva in November 2001.