Lot 102

Johann Jakob Serner

A very fine, extremely rare Luebeck pair-cased wandering hour pocket watch with verge escapement in a protective case with two Geneva enamel miniatures, in the quality of the Huaud brothers

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Silver radial Roman Champlevé hours are displayed in the oblong window, which is framed by a silver retrograde Arabic minute ring. Below the hour, a silver semicircle indicates the Arabic quarter hours. The lower half of the dial features an oval polychrome enamel miniature painting, which probybly shows Prussian King Frederick I. (1657-1713) surrounded by military tools. Another miniature is painted on the balance cock, showing a court lady in a low-cut red dress with a blue cape and a powdered wig.
Watches with revolving hour dials were first invented in the 17th century. In England they were by the king to give to visitors or as gifts honouring loyalty. In Italy the revolving hours was also used for night clocks, with the Campani brothers thought to be the first to use the system.

Watchmaker Johann Jakob Serner in Lübeck and Michael Bürger created the clock for the St. Lorenz church in Lübeck together. Serner married twice and died before 1728. His son Johann Jakob Serner II (died 1753) was also a watchmaker in Lübeck and his work can be seen at the national museum in Tyrol and in private collections.