English gold/enamel centre seconds duplex watch Circa 1820

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Kenmerk
DT0071
Diameter
57 mm
Estimate
€ 20.000 - 40.000
Price sold
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Gold open faced duplex for the Chinese market 
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A gold enamel pocket watch with centre seconds and half seconds jump for the Chinese market, circa 1820.
An 18 carat gold and polychrome enamel case, enamel dial, bridge movement, keywind, lavishly florally engraved, standing barrel, duplex escapement, five-arm steel balance.
The central panel on the backside is decorated with an opaque enamelled geometrical pattern of stylized flowers and dots in squares on a black ground. Both front and back bezel have similar enamel heart and square decoration with translucent green enamel dots. Matching champlevé enamel decoration on stem and pendant.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 120 g
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Signed:  Ilbery  London
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William Ilbery (circa 1760-1839) began working in Londons Goswell Street in 1780 and moved to Duncan Terrace later. Influenced by the examples of James Cox in London and Pierre Jaquet-Droz in Switzerland, Ilbery specialized in producing luxury watches for the Chinese Market. At first, he very much adhered to the traditional English style with its full plate movement and single-wheel duplex escapement, although he used a spring detent escapement for his highest quality pieces. For later movements, Ilbery took his inspiration from the Lepine calibre with a free-standing barrel, as did Jaquet-Droz with the watches he signed in London and William Anthony in London. Ilbery had the cases of his watches exquisitely decorated by the best enamellers from Geneva such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont, who usually signed his work, or Jean-Louis Richter, who signed only very infrequently. William Ilbery initiated the production of opulently engraved movements for the Asian market in Fleurier in Switzerland; other makers in Fleurier such as Bovet and Juvet followed his example. Ilbery should therefore be considered one of the most renowned makers of the so-called “Chinese watches”. Although he worked mainly in London, Ilbery kept in close contact with the trade-in other countries; 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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