90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 496

West End Watch Co., Saint-Imier, Case No. 19362, 51 mm, 105 g, circa 1900
A very fine and extremely rare gold enamel half hunter with minute repeater, chronograph, complete calendar and moon phase - created for the Indian market
Case: 18k gold and polychrome enamel, front and back with curled borders of translucent green and cobalt blue enamelling: rosebuds on an engine-turned ground; spring lid with central Arabic gold numerals on an engine-turned pink ground, set diamonds. Hinged back cover with central oval enamel plaque: miniature of the painting "Après le bain" (1889) by Paul-Louis Bouchard (1853-1937) in a frame of set diamonds. Gold dome, chronograph pusher at "12", slide for repeating mechanism. Dial: enamel, radial Roman hours, auxiliary seconds, window for day and month, subsidiary dial for indication of the date, cobalt blue enamelled moon phase disc with inlaid golden moon and stars, signed, blued spade hands. Movm.: 1/2 plate movement, frosted, gilt, finely ground and bevelled chronograph steel parts, ratchet wheel, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, governor for repetition, gold screw compensation balance.
The West End Watch Company
The West End Watch Company was created in 1886. The West End, a district of the centre of London, inspired its name to Mr. Arnold Charpié who was the Bombay representative of the Alcide Droz & Sons firm, a watch company established at Saint-Imier (Canton of Bern) in Switzerland.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_End_Watch_Co., as of 08/27/2014

estimated
50.00070.000 €
Price realized
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