Swiss Art Nouveau Boule de Genève set with diamonds Circa 1900

Miniature pendant watch in the shape of a ball
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An extremely rare Swiss Art Nouveau Boule de Genève in platinum, completely set with diamonds, circa 1900. It is in original condition with a platinum chain and original box. White enamel dial with radial Arabic numerals, 1 to 11 in blue and 12 in red, outer minutes track and pink gold hands. Winding and time setting are done by rotating the upper half, using gilt lever movement. Matching original platinum necklace decorated with 16 Oriental pearls and signed original box.
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Diameter: 17 mm
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Weight: 25 g
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Signed: Imhof Genève
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Platinum Boule de Genève watches set entirely with diamonds are extremely rare.
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The Boule de Genève, also known as the Geneva Ball, is a type of pendant watch that originates from Geneva, Switzerland. The watch is designed in the shape of a small ball or sphere, with the dial usually located at the bottom of the sphere, facing the floor. However, there are examples with a front-view face. The ball has a jump ring on the upper part, and it comes with a matching brooch, chain, or chatelaine. The watches were mainly intended as an accessory for women.

The Boule de Genève comes in different sizes, styles, materials, and decorative techniques. They were made of gold, silver, other metals, guilloché enamel, enamel, cloisonné, and adorned with diamonds, pearls, etc. The dial usually features Arabic numerals, sometimes Roman, and from the 1950s, different types of hour markers were used.

The first Boules de Genève dates from the 1860s and was marketed by companies such as Patek Philippe from 1866. They featured winding mechanisms invented by Marius Lecoultre (1847-1915) of Geneva and patented in Switzerland in 1889. The winding system involved rotating the hemisphere containing the dial and time-setting by pressing the protruding, cylindrical-shaped button at one side of the orb while turning the said hemisphere clockwise or counterclockwise. These watches have no key or crown. Lecoultre’s winding system was also used in some ring watches and wristwatches of the time.

In the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle, Patek Philippe showcased these ball-form timepieces. Later, they sold pieces to royalty, such as Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt in 1887 and Empress Teresa of Brazil in 1888.

It is important to note that the term Boule de Genève is generic, and it doesn’t mean that a given watch was necessarily made in the city or Canton of Geneva.