3,317,000 HKD
"Pair of Flower Baskets" Ilbery, London, No. 6647 & No. 6662. Made for the Chinese market, circa 1820. Extremely fine and extremely rare, mirror-image pair of 18K gold, painted on enamel and pearl-set pocket watches with center seconds and duplex escapements. Property of a European Collector Two-body, "Empire", the bezels, pendant and bow set with split-pearls, the back cover decorated with a finely painted on enamel basket of summer flowers and fruits on a stone ledge, the basket set with split-pearls, outer border of black champleve enamel with red paillon berries and split-pearls. Hinged metal cuvette. D. White enamel with ra White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute and seconds divisions, Arabic quarter-minute numerals. Gold "heart" hands. 50 mm., gilt brass, Chinese calibre, fully engraved with floral decoration, standing barrel, single wheel duplex escapement, plain five-arm polished steel balance, flat balance spring, diamond endstone, index regulator. Movements signed. Diam. 59 mm. Notes William Ilbery (ca. 1760-1839). Active in London from 1780 in Goswell Street, he moved to Duncan Terrace towards the end of the 18th century. Following James Cox in London and Jaquet Droz in Switzerland, he also specialised in the production of luxury watches for the Chinese Market. His early production was very much in the English style, featuring a full plate movement and an English type single wheel duplex escapement. However, for his highest quality watches Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-11-25
