9,440 CHF
“Enamel & Pearls for The Islamic or Russian Market” Ray & Montague, London, No. 2231, retailed by Markwick Markham Perigal, London. Made for the Islamic or Russian Market, circa 1800. Very fine and rare, 18K gold, enamel and pearl-set pocket watch. Two-body, the back overlaid with translucent royal blue enamel over a sun-ray engineturned ground, the center with a varicoloured gold paillon rosette, the bezels set with large split-pearls, white enamel line border. White enamel with Islamic numerals, outer dot minute indexes, outer Islamic five minute numerals. Rose-cut diamond-set “beetle and poker” hands. 32 mm., gilt brass, full plate with cylindrical pillars, fusee with chain, verge escapement, plain steel three-arm balance, flat balance spring, gilt brass English cock with diamond endstone, silver regulation disc. Dial signed by Markwick Markham, movement signed by Ray & Montague. Diam. 47 mm. Notes This type of delicate paillon decoration, similar to that featured on watches made in Geneva by Jaquet Droz for the English and Oriental markets, is very unusual. The elegant and sober design of the back suggests to us that the watch may have been intended for the Russian Empire, where Islamic numerals were often in demand. Many of the watches in the Kremlin museum feature this type of numeral.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-11-12
