Swiss 18K gold enamel and diamond set lorgnette Circa 1848

Museum piece with a miniature cylinder escapement
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A rare, museum quality gold, enamel and diamond set lorgnette with concealed watch made by Czapek & Cie. in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1848. This numbered lorgnette is crafted from 18 carat gold and has floral engravings on both sides, the hinged front lid is translucent blue enamelled and decorated with rose cut diamonds, the glasses fold out through a spring mechanism. The small white enamel dial has Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track and steel spade hands. The numbered movement has a miniature cylinder escapement.
The face of the watch is signed.
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Length: 97 mm
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Signed: Czapek & C^ie à Genève
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This museum quality watch dates from the early days of Patek Philippe. Only a few examples, signed Patek & Czapek, are known. Number 2277, dated 1847, was auctioned in Geneva and sold for CHF 34.500. On 1 May 1839, Antoni Patek and François Czapek formed a six year partnership in Geneva under the name Patek, Czapek & Cie. Some exceptional watches were made from this collaboration that are part of some important watch collections such as the King Farouk Collection in the Patek Philippe Museum. After the separation in 1845, Antoni Patek founded Patek Philippe & Co. with new partner Adrien Philippe. Czapek founded Czapek & Cie, also with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski, a close friend of the French Emperor Napoleon III. Czapek’s new company flourished. He became court watchmaker to Emperor Napoleon III (Fournisseur de la Cour) and had a workshop in Geneva, Paris on Place Vendôme 28 (founded in 1850) and another in Warsaw (founded in 1854).