Centuries of Time: A Private Collection
Centuries of Time: A Private Collection
A fine gold, enamel and diamond-set open-faced keyless lever watch made for the Indian market with polychrome enamel painted scene by P.-A. Champod Invoiced 19 November 1904, no. 1307054
Auction Closed
May 14, 02:23 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Longines
A fine gold, enamel and diamond-set open-faced keyless lever watch made for the Indian market with polychrome enamel painted scene by P.-A. Champod
Invoiced 19 November 1904, no. 1307054
• Movement: Longines cal. 19.71N damascened nickel movement, lever escapement, 24 jewels, bi-metallic compensation balance, precision regulation marked with Ernst Francillon micrometer regulation patent no. 3884, engraved Safety Pinion adjusted and numbered 1307054
• Dial: white enamel, black Arabic numerals, recessed subsidiary seconds, gold filigree hands
• Case: 18ct gold, the back centred with polychrome enamel painted oval plaque depicting a horse race with jockeys signed AC for Pierre-Amédée Champod, bordered by diamonds, surround of diamond-set floral decoration and horseshoe within translucent blue enamel, bezel decorated en suite, plain polished gold cuvette, hand-setting lever beneath front bezel, inside cuvette numbered 25050, case back withSwiss control marks
diameter 51mm
The Longines Archives confirm that the movement of this watch was supplied to the firm Ernest Degoumois of St-Imier, Switzerland, to whom it was invoiced on 19 November 1904. The Archives further note that, while the case is not of their manufacture, the movement was specifically supplied for use with this case (numbered 25050).
Pierre-Amédée Champod (1834-1913) was one of the finest enamel miniaturists of his day. A short memoir written in c.1907 by Champod is reproduced in A. Chapuis, La Montre Chinoise, 1919. In the passage, Champod notes that he was born in Geneva on the Rue Rousseau on 5 October 1834. We read that the artist studied drawing first under M. Constnatin before learning the art of painting on enamel first under Huguenin, then Sauerlander and finally with Charles Glardon - the latter's style being that which he adopted. Champod left school at 11 and worked by himself from the age of 16. From 1861 he frequently supplied sketches to the French paper L'illustration de Paris (by Hansard), his assignments included illustrations of Queen Victoria during her trip to Lucerne and the Emperor Frederic of Germany during the latter's stay in San Remo. Rather poignantly, the memoir continues "...the rest of my life was spent painting for the Fabrique Genevoise. The latter not being the way to prosperity, undergoing crises, it was necessary to produce much and harvest little...One thing that has not been to my advantage is that I have always been ridiculously shy, doubting myself...fearing ridicule; consequently I have often kept myself aloof. Today I am 73 years old, I am tired, not very well; I write these few notes not out of vanity, but only as information. I believe I have said everything [but] in addition [I would like to say] that I loved Geneva, and if one can say as of a friend, I shake his hand." [translated from the French text - see Chapuis, La Montre Chinoise, 1919, pp. 192-194, a charming portrait of Champod with a cat on his lap can also be found ibid. fig. 157, p. 193]. For examples of design drawings and enamel painted watch cases by Champod see ibid. fig. 152 and plate opposite p. 192.