95th Auction
2017/5/6
Lot 131
Robin à Paris, Movement No. 579, 54 mm, 98 g, circa 1799
An exquisite gold enamel verge pocket watch with very fine enamel paintings in its original leather-covered presentation box, signed H.J Linton, 30 Rue Feydeau; with embossed count’s crown and initials "X. F."
Case: 18k gold/enamel/paste stones. Dial: enamel. Movm.: fine full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm brass balance.
The back of this charming pocket watch is decorated with three figures: opaque polychrome enamelling on transclucent cobald blue ground with engine-turned pattern. The lower part shows two muses - on the left, Terpsichore, the muse of dance and chorus, is taking delight in the round dance; her attribute is the lyre. On the right is the "beautiful-voiced" Calliope, the muse of eloquence and epic poetry, philosophy and science; she is usually seen with a writing tablet and a pen. Between the figures is a stone-studded flower with a little putto in its centre.
Robert Robin (1742-1799) was a clever and imaginative watchmaker - he was also very ambitious and collected many titles and offices during his lifetime. His inventions and designs made him one of a small group of important makers who greatly influenced horological technology at the end of the 18th century and and who made vast improvements to timekeeping instruments. Robin’s career took off when the Académie des Sciences approved two of his inventions in 1778; during the same period of time he also improved his exquisite mantel clocks by fitting them with astronomical indicators and compensated pendulum. Robin used the same designs for all of his clocks and their cases were always elegant and had an unusually modern appeal. All his pieces were in great demand by the court and the king’s household and Robin delivered a great number of clocks to the court. The inventory lists for 1788 show that the king and his household owned seven of Robin’s clocks - in 1793 the queen alone owned 23 while Monsieur, the brother of King Louis XVI, had about ten in his possession. Favoured by the Royal family, Robin’s clocks were highly sought-after by the members of the Parisian high society and he counted the most renowned customers among his clientele. Robin clocks were bought for example by Marshals Duc de Duras and Duc de Richelieu, who were the king’s personal valets, and by the Marquis de Sérent, who was tutor to the Ducs d'Angoulême and de Berry.
Source: "Les Ouvriers du Temps", by Jean- Dominique Augarde, Antiquorum Editions, 1996.
An exquisite gold enamel verge pocket watch with very fine enamel paintings in its original leather-covered presentation box, signed H.J Linton, 30 Rue Feydeau; with embossed count’s crown and initials "X. F."
Case: 18k gold/enamel/paste stones. Dial: enamel. Movm.: fine full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm brass balance.
The back of this charming pocket watch is decorated with three figures: opaque polychrome enamelling on transclucent cobald blue ground with engine-turned pattern. The lower part shows two muses - on the left, Terpsichore, the muse of dance and chorus, is taking delight in the round dance; her attribute is the lyre. On the right is the "beautiful-voiced" Calliope, the muse of eloquence and epic poetry, philosophy and science; she is usually seen with a writing tablet and a pen. Between the figures is a stone-studded flower with a little putto in its centre.
Robert Robin (1742-1799) was a clever and imaginative watchmaker - he was also very ambitious and collected many titles and offices during his lifetime. His inventions and designs made him one of a small group of important makers who greatly influenced horological technology at the end of the 18th century and and who made vast improvements to timekeeping instruments. Robin’s career took off when the Académie des Sciences approved two of his inventions in 1778; during the same period of time he also improved his exquisite mantel clocks by fitting them with astronomical indicators and compensated pendulum. Robin used the same designs for all of his clocks and their cases were always elegant and had an unusually modern appeal. All his pieces were in great demand by the court and the king’s household and Robin delivered a great number of clocks to the court. The inventory lists for 1788 show that the king and his household owned seven of Robin’s clocks - in 1793 the queen alone owned 23 while Monsieur, the brother of King Louis XVI, had about ten in his possession. Favoured by the Royal family, Robin’s clocks were highly sought-after by the members of the Parisian high society and he counted the most renowned customers among his clientele. Robin clocks were bought for example by Marshals Duc de Duras and Duc de Richelieu, who were the king’s personal valets, and by the Marquis de Sérent, who was tutor to the Ducs d'Angoulême and de Berry.
Source: "Les Ouvriers du Temps", by Jean- Dominique Augarde, Antiquorum Editions, 1996.
estimated
8.000—12.000 €
Price realized
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