Fine Swiss gold and enamel hunting cased watch Circa 1850

Gold open faced lever watch by Henry Capt
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A fine Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel hunting cased key wound pocket watch, circa 1850. Gilt-finished Swiss movement, lever escapement, gilt balance. White enamel dial with black Roman hours, outer minute track and blued steel Breguet hands. The case is engine-turned on both sides overlaid with dark blue translucent enamel, the front decorated with a polychrome enamel scene depicting a cherub playing the harp on a flower garland, the back also showing a flower garland, an engraved band, pendant and bow, the front bezel can be opened by depressing the button on the gold pendant. Dial signed, cuvette signed and numbered. Comes with the original presentation box and key.
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Diameter: 30 mm

Weight: 23 g
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Signed: Henry Capt Genève
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Henry-Daniel Capt was an independent Swiss watchmaker who specialized in watches with additional complications such as musical watches and automatons. Capt was one of the first in Geneva to use barrels and crowns in his automatons. He was born in Chenit in the Vallée de Joux in April 1773, as the son of Jaques Samuel Capt and Susanne Piguet. His brother was Charles Samuel Capt. On January 1st, 1796, he married Henriette Piguet. In the Vallée de Joux, Capt trained as an établisseur. Around 1789, Henry settled in Geneva and worked for renowned companies such as Jaquet-Droz, Godet, Leschot and his brother-in-law Daniel Isaac Piguet. In 1802 he went into partnership with Daniel Isaac Piguet, which lasted until 1811. When this partnership ended, Capt kept producing his pieces before entering another partnership with Aubert et Fils in 1830 as Aubert & Capt, located in Place Bel-Air, Geneva. The firm was taken over by his son, Henry Capt, in 1844. He opened a shop on the Rue du Rhône in 1855, which quickly gained an excellent reputation. During the 1870s, the Henry Capt company advertised that they were the only Geneva watch manufacturer to have a branch retail house in London. He also established branches in Paris, Nice and New York. The house of Henry Capt flourished for many decades. Henry-Daniel Capt died in 1841.
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A cherub is a kind of angel, one of the second rank. Cherubs or cherubim, as the Hebrew plural is, were the ancient Israelites’ representations of symbolic, otherworldly beings. According to the Bible, a cherub looks different from other angels. Angels are often described as beings without wings, only in Revelation 14:6 angels are described as having wings, and they look like human beings. Cherubs always have wings and often look like animals.
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Reference 0.20000