Rare Swiss 18 carat gold Hundertwasser designer watch Circa 1991

Gold limited edition designer watch
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An unusual Swiss gold and blackened asymmetrical double sided keyless lever pocket watch, circa 1991, commemorating the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The watch features a rhodium plated manual movement with lever escapement, marked EPOS Manus Verlag and numbered 125/999, with the rim stamped 1991 and calibre No. 908 within an oval. The front showcases a polychrome dial, asymmetric multicoloured hour indices, and uniquely shaped black, white and gold hands, the back unveils a partially skeletonized movement with pink, blue and red hands running counterclockwise, the back crystal is adorned with turquoise printed highlight circles above the winding wheels, balance and escapement. The blackened asymmetrically shaped case is complemented by a band with gold panels showcasing black Arabic numerals alongside Roman numerals for V and X, a gold pendant and bow, finished with a red rope twist fabric fob cord.
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It comes in a black stained wooden display box with sliding turquoise panels that reveal the glazed interior. One side features illustrations of the watch’s hands, while the other showcases the shape of the case. Each is flanked by printed numerals and a script signature at the top.
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Width: 43 mm
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Wooden box: 113.5 mm
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Signed: Manus Verlag – Hundertwasser
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The watch is in generally good condition. The movement functions well and the hands adjust properly. Although it has a double dial, the watch indicates a single time zone, with the hands on the front running clockwise and those on the back running counterclockwise.
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The present watch is a limited edition designed by Epos and the renowned Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hundertwasser, best known for using spirals, arabesques and intense colours in his projects, took seven years to complete the design. Not only does the watch’s dial strongly identify the artist, but the two pairs of hands on the front and back of the watch are reversed to show the paradoxical time that the artist believes in.
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Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist who later took on New Zealand citizenship. Born as Friedrich Stowasser in Vienna on December 15, 1928, he became, although controversial, one of the best known contemporary Austrian artists by the end of the 20th century. He died on February 19, 2000, aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 near New Zealand.