Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time, Collector's Watches

Fine Watches Including Masterworks of Time, Collector's Watches

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 191. A gold and enamel hunting cased cylinder watch made to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the arrangement of marriage between princess charlotte of Prussia (later empress Alexandra Feodorovna) and grand duke Nicholas I Pavlovich (later tsar Nicholas I), the cuvette with painted portrait of empress Alexandra by Ivan Winberg Circa 1844, no. 65960.

Property from the Masterworks of Time Collection

J. F. Bautte & Cie, à Genève

A gold and enamel hunting cased cylinder watch made to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the arrangement of marriage between princess charlotte of Prussia (later empress Alexandra Feodorovna) and grand duke Nicholas I Pavlovich (later tsar Nicholas I), the cuvette with painted portrait of empress Alexandra by Ivan Winberg Circa 1844, no. 65960

No reserve

Reserves

Lot Closed

September 16, 04:09 PM GMT

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from the Masterworks of Time Collection

J. F. Bautte & Cie, à Genève

A gold and enamel hunting cased cylinder watch made to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the arrangement of marriage between princess charlotte of Prussia (later empress Alexandra Feodorovna) and grand duke Nicholas I Pavlovich (later tsar Nicholas I), the cuvette with painted portrait of empress Alexandra by Ivan Winberg 

Circa 1844, no. 65960


• Movement: unsigned gilded bar, cylinder escapement, plain flat three-arm balance

• Dial: white enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute ring

• Case: gold, front with blue guilloché enamel cartouche heightened with polychrome enamel crest of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna: a sword piercing a wreath of white roses, engine-turned surround bordered by chased and engraved scrolling foliage, back with translucent blue enamel over sun-burst engine-turned ground centred by a chased and engraved floral spray, bordered by scrolling foliage, milled band, decoratively chased and engraved pendant and bow, gold inner cover with polychrome enamel portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna painted on ivory and signed to the edge Winberg, inside of the case back engraved with different declensions of the word 'Yours' and the years 1814 & 1844, polished gold cuvette engraved with movement details and apertures for winding and hand setting, signed and numbered J. F. Bautte & Cie, à Genève, No. 65960

diameter 36mm

IVORY: This lot contains ivory. Due to recent changes in the laws of many countries (e.g. US, France) Sotheby's recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. For example, US regulations restrict the import of elephant ivory and prohibit the import of African elephant ivory. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with CITES licence applications where a buyer elects to either collect or arrange their own shipping, nor will Sotheby's assist with the international movement of ivory by air, either as freight or through hand carry. Sotheby's shipping will only assist in shipping the lot to either domestic UK or EU destinations, where delivery is made by road transport. A buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation.

The inscription to the inside back cover with three different declensions of the word 'Yours', followed by the years 1814 and 1844, suggest that this watch was presented by Tsar Nicholas I to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna to mark the 30th anniversary of the arrangement of their marriage. The Empress's emblem decorates the front of the case, while her portrait, painted by Ivan Winberg, is mounted to the cuvette. Of Swedish parentage, Ivan Winberg worked as a miniaturist to the Russian court and, in 1846, was appointed Professor of miniature painting at the Russian Academy.


Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was born Princess Charlotte of Prussia at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin on 13 July 1798. Charlotte was the daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia (1770-1840) and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810). Her marriage to Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, later Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, was arranged in February 1814 and the pair married three years later in 1817. Charlotte converted to Russian Orthodoxy and took the Russian name Alexandra Feodorovna. Upon the accession of her husband as Tsar Nicholas I in December 1825, Alexandra became Empress consort. The pair had seven children and their eldest son became Tsar Alexander II upon the death of his father. Alexandra Feodorovna suffered from ill health for many years and died on 1 November 1860 at the age of 62.