Excellent English duplex made for the Chinese market Circa 1835
- Kenmerk
- TA9934
- Diameter
- 59 mm
- Estimate
- € 50.000 - 100.000
- Price sold
- € 81.900
Gold, enamel and pearl centre seconds watch
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An excellent English 18K gold, painted-on enamel and pearl-set pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1835. A centre-second pocket watch with duplex escapement. Accompanied by a hardstone winding key. The back is finely painted-on enamel with a bouquet of summer flowers on a translucent red enamel over sunray engine-turning, half-pearl set bezels, pendant and bow, spring-loaded glazed cuvette mounted on the movement ring. White enamel dial, radial Roman numerals, outer minute and second divisions with fifteen-minute/seconds Arabic numerals. Pink spade heart-shaped hands. Gilt brass movement, fully engraved, Chinese calibre, twelve jewels, free-standing barrel, ruby duplex escapement, three-arm, uncut-bimetallic balance with flat balance spring, diamond endstone, index regulator. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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An excellent English 18K gold, painted-on enamel and pearl-set pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1835. A centre-second pocket watch with duplex escapement. Accompanied by a hardstone winding key. The back is finely painted-on enamel with a bouquet of summer flowers on a translucent red enamel over sunray engine-turning, half-pearl set bezels, pendant and bow, spring-loaded glazed cuvette mounted on the movement ring. White enamel dial, radial Roman numerals, outer minute and second divisions with fifteen-minute/seconds Arabic numerals. Pink spade heart-shaped hands. Gilt brass movement, fully engraved, Chinese calibre, twelve jewels, free-standing barrel, ruby duplex escapement, three-arm, uncut-bimetallic balance with flat balance spring, diamond endstone, index regulator. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Signed: Ilbery London
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William Ilbery was active in London from 1780. Following James Cox in London and Jaquet Droz in Switzerland, he specialized in luxury watches made for the Chinese market. His early production was in the English style, with a full plate movement and an English-type single-wheel duplex escapement; however, for his highest-quality watches, he incorporated a spring detent escapement. The cases were in the style of those made in England at the time. Later, his watch movements were much inspired by the Lepine calibre with a freestanding barrel, as were those of Jaquet Droz’s Swiss production signed in London and that of William Anthony, who worked in London. He set a new standard for watches made for the Asian market.
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He had profusely engraved movements made in Switzerland, mainly in Fleurier, being followed by makers such as Bovet and Juvet. Bovet and Juvet organized the mass production of silver-cased watches and later, once their Canton manufactures were opened, assembled them in China. Ilbery can therefore be considered the father of Chinese watches as they are known today. Ilbery’s watch cases were decorated by Geneva’s best enamelers, such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont and Jean-Louis Richter. He seems to have maintained close contact with the continental trade since a watch signed “Ilbery Paris” is known and Ilbery & Son are recorded in London and Fleurier, as well as in Canton.
Signed: Ilbery London
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William Ilbery was active in London from 1780. Following James Cox in London and Jaquet Droz in Switzerland, he specialized in luxury watches made for the Chinese market. His early production was in the English style, with a full plate movement and an English-type single-wheel duplex escapement; however, for his highest-quality watches, he incorporated a spring detent escapement. The cases were in the style of those made in England at the time. Later, his watch movements were much inspired by the Lepine calibre with a freestanding barrel, as were those of Jaquet Droz’s Swiss production signed in London and that of William Anthony, who worked in London. He set a new standard for watches made for the Asian market.
–
He had profusely engraved movements made in Switzerland, mainly in Fleurier, being followed by makers such as Bovet and Juvet. Bovet and Juvet organized the mass production of silver-cased watches and later, once their Canton manufactures were opened, assembled them in China. Ilbery can therefore be considered the father of Chinese watches as they are known today. Ilbery’s watch cases were decorated by Geneva’s best enamelers, such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont and Jean-Louis Richter. He seems to have maintained close contact with the continental trade since a watch signed “Ilbery Paris” is known and Ilbery & Son are recorded in London and Fleurier, as well as in Canton.
Signed: Ilbery London
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