52,500 CHF
MORTIMER & HUNT - HISTORICALLY INTERESTING GOLD & ENAMEL DETENT CHRONOMETER WATCH OF NOBLE PROVENANCE Mortimer & Hunt, London, No. 1959, the movement Swiss. The case with London hallmarks for 1841-1842. Made to celebrate the marriage of French Princess Mathilde-Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte (1820-1904) and Anatole Nikolaievitch Demidoff (1813-1870), Prince of San Donato, Italy. Extremely fine and unique, heavy 18K gold and champlevé enamel pocket watch with spring detent Chronometer escapement and champlevé enamel on gold dial. Accompanied by assorted correspondence of the Princess. Three-body, "demi-bassine", master mark LC for Louis Comptesse, London, polished bezel decorated with alternating translucent red champlevé enamel crosses and fleur-de-lis, royal blue enamel band with gold foliage and the Demidoff family motto "ACTA NON VERBA" ("Deeds not Words"), the back cover overlaid with opalescent enamel over a foliate engraved ground, the center with a translucent red enamel cross on an engraved ground, outer border with gold letters in translucent red enamel squares spelling the names Bonaparte and Demidoff with alternate letters "BDOENMAIPDAORFTFE", intersected by fleur-de-lis, outermost border decorated to match the bezel, cast gold and red champlevé enamel royal crown pendant. Gold cuvette secured by a blued steel screw, apertures for winding hand-setting and regulation. Heavy gold overlaid with opalescent enamel over foliate engraving to match the case, radi
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2015-05-10