Lot 177

Anonymous

"Bras-en-l'air"

An extremely rare, unusual pocket watch with "Bras-en-l'air"-indication

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The dial depicts the goddess Minerva and a putto, each holding a lance.
Provenance: Lukas Stolberg collection. This watch is illustrated and described in his book "Ich trage, wo ich gehe, stets eine Uhr bei mir. Die Taschenuhr im Wandel der Zeit" (I always carry a watch with me wherever I go. The pocket watch through the ages), Klagenfurt 1980, p. 95.

The production of timepieces known as “Bras-en-l’air” watches, which display the arms in mid-air, first began around the year 1800. This design traditionally depicts a human figure raising and lowering its arms to indicate the hours and minutes on a retrograde scale. This style of watch, with roots stretching back over two centuries, can be found in some of the most important museums of the world.