96th Auction
2017/11/18
Lot 71
Ilbery, London, Movement No. 6835, 57 mm, 120 g, circa 1820
A gold enamel pocket watch with centre seconds and half seconds jump for the Chinese market
Case: 18k gold and polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, keywind, lavishly florally engraved, standing barrel, duplex escapement, five-arm steel balance.
The central panel on the back side is decorated with an opaque enamelled geometrical pattern of stylized flowers and dots in squares on a black ground. Both front and back bezel have similar enamel heart and square decoration with translucent green enamel dots. Matching champlevé enamel decoration on stem and pendant.
William Ilbery (circa 1760-1839) began working in Londons Goswell Street in 1780 and moved to Duncan Terrace later. Influenced by the examples of James Cox in London and Pierre Jaquet-Droz in Switzerland, Ilbery specialized in producing luxury watches for the Chinese Market. At first he very much adhered to the traditional English style with its full plate movement and single-wheel duplex escapement, although he used a spring detent escapement for his highest quality pieces. For later movements Ilbery took his inspiration from the Lepine caliber with free-standing barrel, as did Jaquet-Droz with the watches he signed in London and William Anthony in London. Ilbery had the cases of his watches exquisitely decorated by the best enamellers from Geneva such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont, who usually signed his work, or Jean-Louis Richter, who signed only very infrequently. William Ilbery initiated the production of opulently engraved movements for the Asian market in Fleurier in Switzerland; other makers in Fleurier such as Bovet and Juvet followed his example. Ilbery should therefore be considered one of the most renowned makers of the so-called "Chinese watches". Although he worked mainly in London, Ilbery kept in close contact with the trade in other countries; a watch signed "Ilbery Paris" is known and Ilbery & Son are recorded in London and Fleurier as well as in Canton.
A gold enamel pocket watch with centre seconds and half seconds jump for the Chinese market
Case: 18k gold and polychrome enamel. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, keywind, lavishly florally engraved, standing barrel, duplex escapement, five-arm steel balance.
The central panel on the back side is decorated with an opaque enamelled geometrical pattern of stylized flowers and dots in squares on a black ground. Both front and back bezel have similar enamel heart and square decoration with translucent green enamel dots. Matching champlevé enamel decoration on stem and pendant.
William Ilbery (circa 1760-1839) began working in Londons Goswell Street in 1780 and moved to Duncan Terrace later. Influenced by the examples of James Cox in London and Pierre Jaquet-Droz in Switzerland, Ilbery specialized in producing luxury watches for the Chinese Market. At first he very much adhered to the traditional English style with its full plate movement and single-wheel duplex escapement, although he used a spring detent escapement for his highest quality pieces. For later movements Ilbery took his inspiration from the Lepine caliber with free-standing barrel, as did Jaquet-Droz with the watches he signed in London and William Anthony in London. Ilbery had the cases of his watches exquisitely decorated by the best enamellers from Geneva such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont, who usually signed his work, or Jean-Louis Richter, who signed only very infrequently. William Ilbery initiated the production of opulently engraved movements for the Asian market in Fleurier in Switzerland; other makers in Fleurier such as Bovet and Juvet followed his example. Ilbery should therefore be considered one of the most renowned makers of the so-called "Chinese watches". Although he worked mainly in London, Ilbery kept in close contact with the trade in other countries; a watch signed "Ilbery Paris" is known and Ilbery & Son are recorded in London and Fleurier as well as in Canton.
estimated
22.000—35.000 €
Price realized
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