![A LARGE AND UNUSUAL GILT-METAL PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH POLYCHROME ENAMEL PAINTED SCENE, JUMPING QUARTER SECONDS, MOON-AGE AND PHASES, VISIBLE BALANCE AND REGULATOR MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET CIRCA 1785, NO. 4634 [ 大型鎏金懷錶備彩繪琺瑯畫、四分一跳秒、月相及月齡、透視擺輪及微調器，為中國市場製造，年份約1785，編號4634]](https://dam.sothebys.com/dam/image/lot/5c84380f-1b0e-4279-97d5-8cccd99c78a4/primary/extra_small)
Masterworks of Time: Splendours for the East 「時間傑作：西器東傳」
Masterworks of Time: Splendours for the East 「時間傑作：西器東傳」
![View full screen - View 1 of Lot 564. A LARGE AND UNUSUAL GILT-METAL PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH POLYCHROME ENAMEL PAINTED SCENE, JUMPING QUARTER SECONDS, MOON-AGE AND PHASES, VISIBLE BALANCE AND REGULATOR MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET CIRCA 1785, NO. 4634 [ 大型鎏金懷錶備彩繪琺瑯畫、四分一跳秒、月相及月齡、透視擺輪及微調器，為中國市場製造，年份約1785，編號4634].](https://sothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/892a44c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1476x2000+0+0/resize/385x522!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia-desk%2Ff3%2Fac%2Faa998c894fb6991433b853bf1da0%2F107ge2024-9y9q5-2.jpg)
William Carpenter, London
A LARGE AND UNUSUAL GILT-METAL PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH POLYCHROME ENAMEL PAINTED SCENE, JUMPING QUARTER SECONDS, MOON-AGE AND PHASES, VISIBLE BALANCE AND REGULATOR MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET CIRCA 1785, NO. 4634 [ 大型鎏金懷錶備彩繪琺瑯畫、四分一跳秒、月相及月齡、透視擺輪及微調器，為中國市場製造，年份約1785，編號4634]
Lot Closed
November 12, 04:06 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
William Carpenter, London
A LARGE AND UNUSUAL GILT-METAL PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH POLYCHROME ENAMEL PAINTED SCENE, JUMPING QUARTER SECONDS, MOON-AGE AND PHASES, VISIBLE BALANCE AND REGULATOR MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
CIRCA 1785, NO. 4634
[ 大型鎏金懷錶備彩繪琺瑯畫、四分一跳秒、月相及月齡、透視擺輪及微調器，為中國市場製造，年份約1785，編號4634]
• Movement: gilded full-plate engraved with flowers and scrolling foliage, verge escapement, fusee and chain, cylindrical pillars, gilt-metal dust ring, signed and numbered Wm. Carpenter, London, 4634
• Dial: white enamel, aperture revealing the balance set with alternating green and red pastes, six subsidiary dials for hours with Roman numerals, minutes, seconds, jumping quarter seconds, regulation and moon-age combined with phases
• Cases: gilt-metal inner case, the back with winding aperture, stirrup-form pendant and bow, case maker's mark FM (possibly PM) with coronet above incuse • gilded outer case, the back with polychrome enamel painted scene depicting three classical maidens at a burning altar of love, bezels engraved with flowers and twisted rope-form motif
diameter of outer case 74.5mm, inner 61mm
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A sophisticated timepiece, this watch was designed to be visually arresting with its complex dial showing the movement of its paste-set balance, seconds and jumping quarter seconds all at once. The decorative nature of the watch continues to the case back, where the polychrome enamel painted panel depicts a classical scene with three maidens before an altar of love. Jumping quarter seconds are rare yet, when found, are usually seen on watches destined for the Eastern markets.
William Carpenter was a well established maker of complicated and highly decorative watches and clocks for the Chinese market. He is listed as working in London and Free of the Clockmakers Company in 1770-1805. Examples of Clocks and Watches by William Carpenter can be found at the Palace Museum, Beijing. Interestingly an almost identical watch depicting the same enamel painted scene and numbered 4633 was sold at Antiquorum Geneva, 10 November 2013, lot 377. A further similar watch but with different enamel scene and numbered 4643 was sold at Sotheby's, The Celebration of the English Watch Part IV, London, 6 July 2017, lot 27.