English complicated coach clock with enamel painting Circa 1790

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Kenmerk
AS1821
Diameter
75 mm
Estimate
€ 7.500 - 15.000
Price sold
€ 9.950

Gilt metal and enamel pair cased pocket watch by William Carpenter
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A large and unusual English gilt metal pair cased verge watch with polychrome enamel painted scene, jumping quarter seconds, moon-age and phases, visible balance, and regulator, made for the Chinese market, circa 1785–1790. This watch has a gilded full-plate movement with engraved flowers and scrolling foliage, verge escapement, fusee and chain, cylindrical pillars, and a gilt metal dust ring. It is signed and numbered by Wm. Carpenter of London, with the serial number 4634. The watch also includes a white enamel dial with an aperture that reveals the balance set with alternating green and red pastes. Additionally, it features six subsidiary dials for hours with Roman numerals, minutes, seconds, jumping 1/4 seconds, regulation, and moon-age combined with phases. The timepiece consists of two cases: an inner case made of gilt metal with a winding aperture on the back, a stirrup-form pendant, and a bow, marked by the case maker’s mark FM (possibly PM) with a coronet above the incuse. The outer case is gilded and features a polychrome enamel-painted scene depicting three classical maidens at a burning altar of love, with bezels engraved with flowers and a twisted rope-form motif.
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Diameter: 75 mm
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Weight: 250 g
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Signed: William Carpenter, London
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The watch is a real rarity among enamel watches for the Chinese market. It is the matching sister watch of the 4633, auctioned in Geneva for 31,250 Swiss Francs in 2013. Because the watches match, it can be assumed that it was a pair that was sold to China. Apart from that, it is also one of the most complicated enamel watches from the 18th century.
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William Carpenter, 1770–1805, made fine watches and automata for the Chinese market. He is particularly known for his extraordinary musical automata. Some of his automata are in the ownership of the Palace Museum of Beijing in China.
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The watch is in good overall condition, but there is some tarnishing on the hands. The inner case shows wear to the gilding and a depression in the band. There is a small chip and some hairlines on the left side of the enamel-painted scene on the outer case back, as well as two small hairlines on the right side within the sky, and some small scratches. The gilding on the bezels shows some rubbing but generally has good colour throughout, with rubbing on the band. The movement is running, and the jumping seconds are operational. The decorative backplate is in clean condition with minor scuffs, and the dial has a very faint hairline at the upper right edge.

Signed: Wm Carpenter London

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