11,800 CHF
"Gold Pair-Cased" Jaquet Droz, London, No. 11785. Made in Switzerland for the English market, circa 1785, probably retailed by Maillardet. Very fine and rare, heavy, 18K gold pair-cased pocket watch. Outer: two-body, "bassine" polished. Inner: two-body, "bassine" polished. Gilt-metal dust cover. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute indexes, Arabic five minute numerals. Gold "Louis XV" hands. 34.5 mm., frosted gilt, full plate, conical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance, flat balance spring, finely pierced and engraved foliate balance cock, diamond endstone, silver regulation disc. Dial and dust cap signed. Diam. 49 mm. Property of an Gentleman Notes Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz (1752-1791). Was the second child of Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his wife Marianne. His father sent him to Nancy when he was young to study music, science, mathematics, physics and drawing. Upon his return from Nancy in 1769, Henry-Louis took his place in his father's workshop, side by side with Jean-Frédéric Leschot (1746-1824), a neighbor child who had come to live and work with Pierre around 1756. This was the beginning of a close and fruitful partnership between the three men. When Pierre Jaquet-Droz grew old, the firm was taken over by his son Henry-Louis and Jean-Frédéric Leschot, and the firm was called Jaquet-Droz & Leschot. Henri Maillardet Was the director of the London branch of the Jaquet-Droz firm that was opened in 1783, although
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-11-12
