7,500 CHF
EXCEPTIONAL LARGE GOLD GRANULATION & GEM-SET QUARTER REPEATING WATCH & CHATELAINE Attributed to Moulinie Frères & Cie à Genève, movement No. 4233, case No. 748. Made circa 1830. Extremely fine and very rare, large, quarter-repeating à toc, yellow gold, gem-set, granulation decorated pocket watch with virgule escapement and a yellow gold and gem-set granulation decorated chatelaine. Three-body, entirely decorated with graduated granulation forming scrolls and flowers set with pink faceted stones, bezel, band, pendant and bow en suite with applied granulation. Gilt-metal cuvette hinged to the movement ring. Matte engine-turned yellow gold with brushed chapter ring, radial Roman numerals, outer brushed minute track, engine-turned center. Blued steel Breguet hands. 45 mm. frosted gilt, standing barrel, virgule escapement with three-arm gilt balance, flat balance spring, index regulator, repeating on the side of the case with two polished steel hammers by depressing the pendant. Case and movement numbered. Notes DIAM. 53 mm. The present watch is one of the most lavishly granulation-decorated watches to appear at auction. It is also of large size and still retains the original matching chatelaine which is a rare survival. The movement is unusual in being fitted with the Virgule escapement - a rarely used and delicate mechanism, instead of the more usual cylinder escapement found in this type of watch. Granulation, a technique using tiny beads of gold, was employed - and proba
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-11-09