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 562. A VERY FINE COMPLEMENTARY PAIR OF CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET DUPLEX WATCHES WITH MIRROR IMAGE FLORAL BOUQUETS, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET CIRCA 1845, NOS. 3615 & 3616 [黃金畫琺瑯鑲珍珠懷錶一對，錶殼彩繪對稱花束，年份約1845，相連編號3615及3616].

Vaucher, Fleurier

A VERY FINE COMPLEMENTARY PAIR OF CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET DUPLEX WATCHES WITH MIRROR IMAGE FLORAL BOUQUETS, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET CIRCA 1845, NOS. 3615 & 3616 [黃金畫琺瑯鑲珍珠懷錶一對，錶殼彩繪對稱花束，年份約1845，相連編號3615及3616]

VAT applies to hammer price and buyer's premium

Lot Closed

November 12, 04:09 PM GMT

Estimate

60,000 - 80,000 CHF

Lot Details

Description

Vaucher, Fleurier


A VERY FINE COMPLEMENTARY PAIR OF CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET DUPLEX WATCHES WITH MIRROR IMAGE FLORAL BOUQUETS, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET

CIRCA 1845, NOS. 3615 & 3616

[黃金畫琺瑯鑲珍珠懷錶一對，錶殼彩繪對稱花束，年份約1845，相連編號3615及3616]


•  Movements: gilded Chinese calibres, partially decoratively engraved with scrolling flowers and foliage against a stippled ground, each with similarly decorated hanging barrel, skeletonised balance cock and central bridge, Chinese duplex escapement, five-arm polished steel flat balance, the central bridges in each engravedJnt [sic] & Son, London and numbered consecutively 3615 & 3616

• Dials: each white enamel, Roman numerals, blued steel hands and centre seconds, outer ring for minutes/seconds with Arabic quarter 15-minute divisions, signed Vaucher, Fleurier

• Case: gold, the backs with polychrome enamel painted bouquets of flowers identically mirrored, heightened with translucent green enamel leaves over engraved ground, all against an opaque black champlevé enamel background, split-pearl-set bezels and bow, the band and pendant decorated with geometric opaque black and white champlevé enamel, pushers through pendants to release case back and reveal the gilded cuvettes, the cuvettes with stylised foliate engraved borders and central rosettes, apertures for winding and hand-setting


diameters 52.5mm


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The Vaucher family’s first foray into the export of watches to China began with Charles-Henri Vaucher. In March 1838 Louis Bovet mentioned in a letter to his uncle that Vaucher had sent a quantity of watches, including those decorated with enamel, to Canton. It seems that the Bovets became Charles-Henri’s representative in Canton but the latter’s business enterprise was unsuccessful. In January 1839, Louis Bovet returned some watches to Vaucher which he had been unable to sell and it seems Charles-Henri pursued his export business no further. In 1843 another branch of the Vaucher family saw brothers Alfred (1817-1880), Édouard (1819-1847) and James-Henri (1824-1871) open a business in Canton from which they sold good quality watches in the styles that were fashionable in China. These brothers, whose business was named Vaucher Frères, were the sons of Georges-Alfred Vaucher (d.1840) head of a watchmaking business in Fleurier. Later the brothers would be joined by their other siblings, Fritz (1827-1913) and Albert (1833-1888).


Tragically Édouard, the second eldest brother, was assassinated in 1847 whilst travelling from Canton to Whampoa with watches valued at 40,0000 Francs. Allegedly killed by pirates, there was a suspicion that someone among his servants had tipped off the perpetrators. In addition to their trade in watches, Vaucher Frères also exported Tea, porcelain and lacquered goods back to Switzerland. Vaucher Frères were particularly badly affected by the Taiping Revolution and the firm ceased to exist in 1866. For an account of Charles-Henri Vaucher and the firm of Vaucher Frères, see: A. Chapuis, La Montre Chinoise, 1919, pp. 140-143.