Archive of Sold Items

A late 18^th Century Swiss verge in a gold and enamel consular case.  Full plate gilt fusee movement.  Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with steel coqueret, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Silver regulator dial with blue steel indicator.  Winding through the white enamel dial, Roman and Arabic numerals, decorative pierced gold hands.  Three colour gold consular case, the back with a polychrome circular enamel bordered by a row of enamel faux split pearls.  Central oval portrait of  Voltaire in profile within a gilt frame surrounded by foliage and musical motifs.  The front bezel opened by depressing a button in the gold pendant.

An early 19^th Century Swiss verge with offset dial in a gem set three colour gold consular case.  Full plate gilt fusee movement.  Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with garnet endstone, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Silver regulator dial with blue steel indicator.  Gold engine turned dial with offset chapter of white enamel cartouches bearing Arabic numerals, decorative gilt hands.  Three colour gold consular case, floral design on the back set with turquoise, garnets and seed pearls.  Small button in the gold pendant to open the bezel.

An early 19^th Century Swiss three colour gold open face watch set with rubies.  Purpose made English full plate gilt keywind fusee movement.  Harrison’s maintaining power.  Plain cock, polished steel regulator, plain three arm gold balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  English table roller lever escapement.  Engine turned gold dial with a small chapter of  Roman numerals, broad decorative three colour gold border, gilt hands.  Decorative three colour gold open face case set with rubies in a geometric pattern.  Wound through the gilt cuvette signed “Jn Ls Debrit  a Geneve”.

A late 19^th Century Swiss mystery watch in a silver double sided case.  The gilt cylinder movement relegated to the crescent shaped portion of the watch between the glass dial and the pendant.  Keyless with going barrel, the winding crown featuring a ratchet mechanism.  Small plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring, polished steel regulator.  Polished steel cylinder, steel escape wheel.   Glass dial with gilt Arabic numerals and minute ring, decorative engraved silver masks.  The gilt hands are driven by a glass disc which has a toothed brass wheel attached to its outer edge engaging the train.  The miniature motion work for the hands is set between another glass disc and the dial.  There is no provision to set the hands apart from moving them manually, which is common in these watches.  Plain silver case glazed back and front.  Rectangular button in the band to release the sprung front cover, silver bow.

A late 19^th Century small Swiss cylinder in a decorative gold full hunter case.  Keyless gilt bar movement with going barrel.  Plain cock with polished steel regulator.  plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Polished steel cylinder, steel escape wheel.  white enamel dial with Roman numerals, blue steel hands.  Chased and engraved small 14 carat full hunter case, traces of champleve enamel, vacant cartouche on the front cover.  Signed gold cuvette engraved with detail of the movement.

A late 19^th Century Swiss lever watch in a silver and niello full hunter case depicting “modern” inventions.  Nickelled three quarter plate keyless movement with going barrel. Plain cock with polished steel regulator, compensation balance with blue steel overcoil hairspring.  Club foot lever escapement.  White enamel dial signed “F Bachschmid – F Borbolla – Manzanilla”. Subsidiary seconds, Arabic numerals and gilt minute markings, decorative pierced gilt hands. Rare silver and niello full hunter case depicting recent inventions in Art Nouveau style.  On the front cover in applied gold an early open car with spoked wheels and three representations of electric light bulbs with wings to the side.  Above the scene a microphone appears to be suspended.  On the back cover two men in a wicker basket suspended below a balloon.  On the side of the basket an anchor can be seen and one of the men is emptying sand from a bag.  The three electric light bulbs are repeated. Signed silver cuvette, maker's mark “Niel HF”.

An early 20^th Century Swiss cylinder with Hebrew dial in an open face case.  Three quarter plate keyless movement with going barrel.  Steel regulator, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring. Engine turned metal dial with subsidiary seconds, Hebrew numerals, decorative pierced gilt hands.  Silvered open face case, chased bezel and middle, the cast back depicting a Moses reading from the Ten Commandments.

An early 20^th Century Swiss cylinder with revolving erotic disc and unusual dial in a gunmetal open face case.  Keyless nickelled bar movement with going barrel.  Plain cock with polished steel regulator.  Plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Unusual enamel dial, the numerals replaced by representations of the club suit of playing cards from Ace to Queen, pierced gilt hands.  Blue steel open face case with gilt bezel, winding crown and bow.  On the reverse of the watch is a small glazed aperture through which can be seen a rotating disc bearing photographically reproduced nudes.  The disc is mounted to the seconds arbor and so rotates counter clockwise once a minute revealing the four nude pictures in turn.

A rare late 19^th Century Swiss quarter repeating verge knife grinder automaton in a gold open face case.  Full plate gilt fusee movement.  Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with steel coqueret, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Silver regulator dial with polished steel indicator.  Push pendant quarter repeating on two steel gongs.  White enamel ring dial of Arabic numerals surrounding the central scene, blue steel Breguet hands.   Blue steel ground with finely chased and engraved parcel gilt scene depicting two cupids on a brick bridge.   As the watch strikes the hours and quarters the arms of the figures move as though striking the bells between them.  In the arch of the bridge are two figures shown sharpening knives.  When the repeat is operated the figure on the left lowers the knife to the grinding wheel which rotates, apparently belt driven by a large wheel turned by the boy on the right.  When the watch has finished repeating the man lifts the knife from the wheel, ready for the next time.  Fine engine turned 18 carat open face case, sprung signed gilt cuvette inset with chased and engraved parcel gilt repousse plate of Apollo playing his lyre.

An early 19^th Century Swiss quarter repeating verge automaton with concealed erotic scene in a gold open face case.  Full plate gilt fusee movement.  Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock, garnet endstone in a polished steel setting, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Silver regulator dial with blue steel indicator.  Pendant quarter repeating on two gongs.  Small white enamel chapter ring with Arabic numerals, blue steel hands.  Either side of the dial are finely chased and engraved parcel gilt classical figures fixed above the decorative engraved plate and polished steel repeating work.  As the watch strikes the hours and quarters the arms of the figures move as though striking the bells between them.  Below the chapter ring the small parcel gilt cover can be slid aside to reveal a couple embracing on a couch.  As the watch strikes the man springs into action, continuing until the repeating train stops.  Plain 18 carat gold open face case with reeded bezels and ribbed middle.  Gold push pendant, gold slide in the band to operate the cover, wound through the gilt metal cuvette.

An interesting late 17^th Century English verge clockwatch in silver pair cases.  Deep full plate fire gilt movement with unusual narrow engraved pillars. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates, centre wheel raised to allow for the strike wheel and hammer.  Pierced and engraved winged cock, pierced and engraved foot and additional steady foot.  Plain steel balance, silver regulator disc.  Five leaf pinions in both the going and striking trains.  Hour striking on a bell in the case, pierced and engraved resting barrel, blue steel stopwork.  Silver champleve dial, arcaded minute ring, Roman and Arabic numerals, gilt hands. Pierced and engraved pair cases, unusual pierced bow. Small silver button in the bezel at eight o'clock to allow the watch to repeat the last hour.  Chased, engraved and pierced outer case, four busts around the central scene depicting King Edward IV meeting the tanner of Tamworth.

A late 17^th Century English single handed verge alarm in silver pair cases.  Deep full plate fire gilt movement with four Egyptian pillars and a single plain pillar.  Fusee and chain with ratchet and click barrel setup between the plates. Pierced and engraved winged cock depicting two birds on the  table, broad pierced and engraved foot.  Plain steel balance, silver regulator disc on a pierced and engraved plate.  Short alarm train, pierced and engraved resting barrel, steel contrate wheel and double headed hammer striking on a bell in the case.  Silver champleve dial, the blue steel pointer on the rotating centre indicating the time, Roman numerals, blue steel alarm time hand.   Silver inner case decoratively pierced and engraved in a close foliate pattern, later long pendant and bow.  Deep silver outer case decorated in chased and engraved repousse work, vacant cartouche in the centre surrounded by four classical busts.  

A late 17^th Century English verge alarm in gilt metal pair cases.  Deep full plate fire gilt movement with five turned baluster pillars.  Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates.  Pierced and engraved winged cock with mask, pierced and engraved foot.  Plain steel balance, the arms shaped to allow it to clear the winding square, silver regulator disc.  The alarm striking a bell in the case with two polished steel hammers.  Engraved resting barrel, blue steel stopwork.   Fine later white enamel dial with Roman and Arabic numerals, small central white enamel disc set by a female square below the twelve. Fine gold beetle and poker hands, small tail of the hour hand indicating the alarm set time.  Unusual pierced and engraved gilt metal pair cases, the inner case constructed without a bezel and the glass fitted to the outer case.

A late 18^th Century French verge alarm in a silver open face case.  Full plate gilt fusee movement.  Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with steel coqueret, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  unusual long polished regulator, large index engraved on the plate. The alarm  striking a bell in the case with two polished steel hammers.   Wound through the signed white enamel dial with Arabic numerals, blue steel gilt hands.  Deep plain drum shaped silver open face case.  Opening the back reveals the pierced and engraved inner domed lined with red silk, maker's mark “IPW” in a rectangle.

An early 20^th Century Swiss minute repeating lever in a gunmetal open face case.  Gilt split three quarter plate keyless movement with going barrel, frosted steel wolf's teeth winding wheels.  Plain cock with polished steel regulator, compensation balance with anti-magnetic overcoil hairspring.  Club foot lever escapement, escape pivots with endstones.  Slide minute repeating on two polished steel gongs.  Signed white enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, and Arabic numerals, blue steel hands.  Substantial plain gunmetal open face case with gold slide in the band, gilt hand set, hinge, thumb piece, winding button and bow.

A large late 19^th Century Swiss lever with grande sonnerie striking in a gold full hunter case.  Keyless gilt bar movement, the single going barrel driving both the strike and going trains.  Plain cock with polished steel regulator,  compensation balance with blue steel overcoil hairspring.  Club foot lever escapement.  Striking hours and quarters in passing or at will by depressing the small button in the band on two polished steel gongs.  White enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, Arabic numerals, pierced gilt hands.  Substantial large plain 14 carat full hunter case, gold button in the band to repeat the hours and quarters. Strike silent lever under the front cover, gold cuvette engraved with details of the movement.

An early 19^th Century English cylinder by Brockbanks in silver pair cases.  Full plate fusee movement.  Gilt dust cover pierced to reveal the table of the cock engraved with an anchor and flags, diamond endstone in a blue steel setting.  Gilt regulator on top plate below the plain three arm steel balance.  Polished steel cylinder, large brass escape wheel.  Signed white enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, Roman numerals, blue steel seconds hand, gold hands.  Silver pair cases, inner with silver oval pendant and bow, maker's mark “JN” in an oval and number corresponding to that on the movement.  Well fitted in a silver outer case hallmarked Birmingham 1819.

An early 19^th Century English debaufre in silver pair cases.  Full plate gilt keywind movement, the resting barrel formed from a series of strong pins leaving the blue steel mainspring exposed.  Chased and engraved cock with polished steel pivot screw to adjust the end shake.  Plain three arm polished steel balance with blue steel spiral hairspring, blue steel Bosley regulator.  Debaufre escapement employing two polished steel escape wheels acting alternately on a single steel roller.  White enamel dial with Roman numerals, gold hands.  Matching silver pair cases, silver oval pendant and bow, maker's mark “TE – HF”

An early 19^th Century English rack lever with 15 second subsidiary and Liverpool window jewelling in silver pair cases.   Full plate gilt keywind fusee movement with plain gilt dust cover.  Chased and engraved cock inscribed “Patent” on the foot, diamond endstone.  Polished steel Bosley regulator with bi-metallic temperature compensation curb.  Plain polished steel balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Large Liverpool window screwed in jewelling.  Rack lever escapement with thirty tooth escape wheel, adjustable slides to the lever.  Off white enamel dial, subsidiary seconds marked  to fifteen seconds, the hand mounted on the escape wheel arbor rotating four times every minute.  Roman numerals, blue steel seconds hand, gilt hands.  Well fitted in contemporary silver pair cases, lateral steel stop lever.

An early 19^th Century English rack lever in silver pair cases.  Full plate gilt keywind fusee movement with dust cover.  Harrison's maintaining power.  Plain cock inscribed “Patent Lever”, diamond endstone, plain three arm steel balance with blue steel spiral hairspring.  Rack lever escapement.  White enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, Roman numerals, blue steel seconds hand, gold hands.  Matching silver pair cases, silver oval pendant and bow, maker's mark “EJ”, lateral steel stop lever acting on the lever.

A large mid 19^th Century crab tooth duplex with dual time dials and a compass in a silver full hunter case.  Gilt three quarter plate keywind movement with going barrel, the plate decoratively cut away to show the train.  Engraved shaped cock with polished steel regulator, uncut bimetallic balance with spiral hairspring.  Crab tooth duplex escapement, the steel escape wheel with two locking teeth so that the watch will appear to beat seconds.  Screwed in jewelling.  Fully restored signed white enamel dial with subsidiaries for two time zones, the left with  Roman numerals, the right Arabic numerals.  Below these a small glazed compass marked with the cardinal points.  Seconds beating centre seconds, blue steel hands.  Engine turned and engraved silver full hunter case, the front cover with a vacant rectangle.  Maker's mark “AJ” in an oval, wound and set through the silvered metal cuvette engraved with the retailer's name and “Duplex – Ten jewels & ruby roller”.  Lateral stop slide in the engraved band.