90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 467

Verger Frères à Paris, Movement No. 5509, Case No. 5509, 33 x 24 mm, circa 1915
A lady's extremely rare Art Deco platinum wristwatch with painted dial, attributed to Fernand Paillet (1840-1918) - one of the most famous dial painter of the Art Deco period
Case: platinum, hexagonal, chased and florally engraved edges, diamond-set bezel, screwed on back, signed "Verger France". Dial: polychrome painted, Arabic numerals, blued Breguet steel hands. Movm.: bridge movement, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, screw compensation balance.
Fernand Paillet (1840-1918)
Fernand Paillet exhibited at the Salon de Paris. As a pupil of Carrier-Belleuse, Paillet worked in enamel, watercolors and porcelain, as a decorator for Sèvres from 1879 to 1888.
He is represented by about 115 miniatures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Verger, Paris
The name of Ferdinand Verger stands at the beginning of two generations of designers and casemakers. In 1872 he established the first firm in the Place des Victoires in Paris. Later in 1901 he bought the firm of Lepine from Roux - as well situated in the Place des Victoires. Thirteen years later he sold what was left from the merchandise to M. Louis Leroy. He only kept the drade mark which he registered in 1917. Before in 1911 the firm had moved. the new adress was: 51, rue Sainte Anne. The name was Verger frères and the master mark became "V.F." The brothers became famous for their cases and jewels which they made for the most exquisite jewelers of the world: Tiffany, Boucheron, Cartier, van Cleef & Apples, Mauboussin and Ostertag to mention only some of their customers. Verger frères became as well Paris agents for Vacheron & Constantin: they bought movements and cases for the French market. With their outstanding originality they created models like the well known "bras en I'air" which shows Buddah or a mandarin. Other famous names of their models are "Radiateur" or the "Montres à Volets" which were often sold as a purse clasp produced for Ostertag, Boucheron Mauboussin, Tiffany, Gübelin, Van Cleef & Apples for which they specially designed the "Montres Cadenas". For Cartier they created the unique mystery clocks which were in the 20s and 30s among the most splendid products in the Cartier collection.

Sold

estimated
1.0003.000 €
Price realized
1.400 €