96th Auction
2017/11/18
Lot 23
John Le Roux, Charing Cross, London, Movement No. 1677, 44 mm, 87 g, circa 1640 / 1790
A very fine, important and early solid gold enamel case with a later verge movement in a leather-covered outer case
Case: outer case - leather-covered, gilt stud decoration. Inner case - 21k gold, polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel on gold. Movm.: full plate movement, brass, fiegilt, chain/fusee, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance.
The scallop-shaped case with six lobes is allover exquisitely chased and embellished with intertwining leaves and flowers of opaque white, blue and black enamel as well as translucent red, green and dark blue enamel. The delicate gold and enamel dial has radial Roman numerals on a gold ring with dots marking half hours. The centre and the edge are in large parts decorated with opaque white enamel and cloisonné and champlevé enamel flowers and leaves in colours of light blue, dark blue and green.
During the 18th century movements were regularly replaced in watches which were exclusive because of their beauty or their expensiveness – many examples in museums and private collections bear witness to the practice.
John Leroux was a renowned maker well known for being a fine and innovative craftsman; the fact that it was Leroux who replaced the movement in this watch suggests that it must have been of particular value to its owner. Looking at Leroux’ pieces that are held by the British Museum, it may even be assumed that he was the maker who invented draw in the lever escapement, a feature which made the lever escapement function reliably. The work of Leroux which has survived is of outstanding quality and like Emery and Grant he was one of the very few makers of his time in London, who thoroughly appreciated the lever escapement invented by Mudge in 1754 and constantly strove to improve on it. Although he had lived and worked in London since about 1744, Leroux was not accepted into the Clockmakers' Company until 1781.
A very fine, important and early solid gold enamel case with a later verge movement in a leather-covered outer case
Case: outer case - leather-covered, gilt stud decoration. Inner case - 21k gold, polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel on gold. Movm.: full plate movement, brass, fiegilt, chain/fusee, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance.
The scallop-shaped case with six lobes is allover exquisitely chased and embellished with intertwining leaves and flowers of opaque white, blue and black enamel as well as translucent red, green and dark blue enamel. The delicate gold and enamel dial has radial Roman numerals on a gold ring with dots marking half hours. The centre and the edge are in large parts decorated with opaque white enamel and cloisonné and champlevé enamel flowers and leaves in colours of light blue, dark blue and green.
During the 18th century movements were regularly replaced in watches which were exclusive because of their beauty or their expensiveness – many examples in museums and private collections bear witness to the practice.
John Leroux was a renowned maker well known for being a fine and innovative craftsman; the fact that it was Leroux who replaced the movement in this watch suggests that it must have been of particular value to its owner. Looking at Leroux’ pieces that are held by the British Museum, it may even be assumed that he was the maker who invented draw in the lever escapement, a feature which made the lever escapement function reliably. The work of Leroux which has survived is of outstanding quality and like Emery and Grant he was one of the very few makers of his time in London, who thoroughly appreciated the lever escapement invented by Mudge in 1754 and constantly strove to improve on it. Although he had lived and worked in London since about 1744, Leroux was not accepted into the Clockmakers' Company until 1781.
estimated
20.000—30.000 €
Price realized
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