Swiss gold duplex watch made for the Chinese market Circa 1860
- Kenmerk
- TA2780
- Diameter
- 55 mm
- Estimate
- € 25.000 - 50.000
- Price sold
- -
Gold, enamel and pearl-set watch with centre seconds
–
A very fine Swiss 18K gold, enamel and pearl-set open faced centre seconds duplex pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1860. The case back with a fine painted on enamel scene representing King Arthur and Emmeline, the bezels, pendant and bow set with split pearls, the pendant and bow decorated with multi-coloured enamel. Gold cuvette hinged to the movement ring, an engraved border. Convex white enamel dial with narrow radial Roman hours, outer minute divisions with Arabic fifteen-minute numerals and gold spade hands. A gilt movement, Chinese calibre fully engraved, standing barrel, duplex escapement, three-arm steel balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator.
–
Diameter: 55 mm
–
Signed: No name
–
The case is restored.
–
The finely painted on enamel scene is from the third act of the 1691 comic opera King Arthur and the British Worthy by John Dryden with music by Henry Purcell. An adaptation in the 1780s at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, was billed as an “entertainment consisting of dialogue music and machinery” called Arthur and Emmeline, and this appears to be the inspiration for the engraving by P.W. Tomkins after Charles Ansell that was published in 1787.






















