GRIBELIN, BLOIS | A VERGE WATCH MOVEMENT IN LATER SILVER AND ROCK CRYSTAL SCALLOP-FORM CASEMOVEMENT CIRCA 1640, CASE 19TH CENTURY

• Movement: gilded full plate, verge escapement, screwed-on balance cock and foot decoratively pierced and engraved with scrolling flowers and foliage, plain flat steel balance, wheel and click set-up, fusee and gut line, turned baluster pillars, signed Gribelin, Blois• Dial: silver, Roman numerals with half hour divisions between and quarter hours beneath, gilded centre with pierced and engraved scene depicting Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, the serpent offering Eve an apple from the tree of life, the whole surrounded by scrolling foliage, hand lacking• Case: later (19th century) engraved silver bezels, rock crystal covers of scallop-form, the front with radiating facets, the radiating sections to the back separated by grooves, deep plain pendant, long turned terminal

Dial: Minor losses to the black infill at 6 but otherwise clean and crisp Case: The pin in the hinge a possible replacement, rock crystal is free from cracks. The front case closes securely but not completely flush with the case. Movement: Running at the time of cataloguing
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Tardy's listing of the Gribelin family in his Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français notes that Simon Gribelin was active in Blois from 1588 and died after 1633. Simon's son Abraham, born in 1589 succeeded his father to the position of clockmaker to the King. Abraham had 15 children and died in 1671 at the age of 82. It is probable that it was Abraham who was the maker of the movement of this watch. Abraham's legacy was continued by Nicholas, his son, who was born in Blois in 1637 and became clockmaker to the Dauphin in Paris in 1674. Watches signed by the Gribelins may be found in the collections of the British Museum, Ashmolean and Victoria & Albert Museum. The rock crystal case of this watch together with its silver mounts most likely date to the 19th century, but they are in the style of the mid-17th century.