98th Auction
2018/11/10
Lot 376
Grignion / James Snelling / George Michael Moser, London, 47 mm, 124 g, circa 1776
A magnificent quarter hour/hour repeating gold enamel pocket watch "montre à toc", studded with diamonds and with corresponding gold enamel chatelaine - with finest enamel paintings "en grisaille", signed by George Michael Moser
Case: 22k pink gold, enamel, diamonds, case maker's punch mark "PM" (Peter Mounier of Frith Street, Soho, London). Dial: enamel, diamond-set hands. Movm.: full plate movement, applied silver acanthus tendrils, applied signature shield, chain/fusee, English lever escapement, 2 hammers, three-arm brass balance.
The back is decorated with a round enamel plaque showing a neo-classical "en grisaille" scene on brown ground: two Greek sybils facing each other. The painting is signed "Moser F(ecit)" and framed by opaque white enamel beads. The case band is particularly lavishly embellished with bright translucent cobalt blue enamel against a shaded ground with rippling gold acanthus garlands and enamel beads as well as petals set with diamonds. A sparkling diamond bezel surrounds the dial.
The chatelaine is similarly ornamented with three "en grisaille" enamel medallions with profile portraits and bird motifs. The chatelaine (140 mm long) has a textile strap and a key; the neo-classical "en grisaille" style was particularly popular in London during the late 18th century.
Enamel signature "Moser F(ecit)"
George Michael Moser (1706-1783) was born in Schaffhausen. He studied chasing and gilding under his father Michael, a coppersmith. He moved to London in 1726 and worked for John Valentine Haidt, goldsmith and watch chaser. By 1737 he was working on his own account at Craven Buildings off Drury Lane. In addition to chasing he also produced fine enamel cases of which only about twenty are known to survive. He designed the great seal of George III and painted enamel portraits of the royal children for Queen Charlotte. In the 1740's Moser became a leading figure at the St Martins Lane Academy and later, in 1769 he became the first Keeper of the Royal Academy. His repoussé watch case work is among the finest to be found. Moser continued to work at least until the late 1770's, and was active for the Royal Academy until the end of his life. On January 30, 1783, the "Gentleman's Magazine" reported that Moser "was followed to his grave in grand funeral pomp by all the capital artists, Sir Joshua Reynolds at their head as chief mourner, Sir William Chambers, etc. Ten mourning coaches, besides two gentlemen's coaches, were in the procession".
In The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth-Century London, Richard Edgcumbe devotes over 40 pages of text to Moser's work in addition to the many illustrations included.
The movement was made by English watchmaker J. Snelling but unfortunately it is not possible to say who "J. Snelling" is, as Brian Loomes' "Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World" already lists nine makers who go by that name.
Dial signature "Grignion London"
Thomas Grignion (1713-1784) was the son of Daniel Grignion (1684-1763), who in 1688 came to England from France. In his book "The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain", Brian Loomes states that the Grignion family was listed as "dealers and finishers". A watch made by Thomas Grignion is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.
A magnificent quarter hour/hour repeating gold enamel pocket watch "montre à toc", studded with diamonds and with corresponding gold enamel chatelaine - with finest enamel paintings "en grisaille", signed by George Michael Moser
Case: 22k pink gold, enamel, diamonds, case maker's punch mark "PM" (Peter Mounier of Frith Street, Soho, London). Dial: enamel, diamond-set hands. Movm.: full plate movement, applied silver acanthus tendrils, applied signature shield, chain/fusee, English lever escapement, 2 hammers, three-arm brass balance.
The back is decorated with a round enamel plaque showing a neo-classical "en grisaille" scene on brown ground: two Greek sybils facing each other. The painting is signed "Moser F(ecit)" and framed by opaque white enamel beads. The case band is particularly lavishly embellished with bright translucent cobalt blue enamel against a shaded ground with rippling gold acanthus garlands and enamel beads as well as petals set with diamonds. A sparkling diamond bezel surrounds the dial.
The chatelaine is similarly ornamented with three "en grisaille" enamel medallions with profile portraits and bird motifs. The chatelaine (140 mm long) has a textile strap and a key; the neo-classical "en grisaille" style was particularly popular in London during the late 18th century.
Enamel signature "Moser F(ecit)"
George Michael Moser (1706-1783) was born in Schaffhausen. He studied chasing and gilding under his father Michael, a coppersmith. He moved to London in 1726 and worked for John Valentine Haidt, goldsmith and watch chaser. By 1737 he was working on his own account at Craven Buildings off Drury Lane. In addition to chasing he also produced fine enamel cases of which only about twenty are known to survive. He designed the great seal of George III and painted enamel portraits of the royal children for Queen Charlotte. In the 1740's Moser became a leading figure at the St Martins Lane Academy and later, in 1769 he became the first Keeper of the Royal Academy. His repoussé watch case work is among the finest to be found. Moser continued to work at least until the late 1770's, and was active for the Royal Academy until the end of his life. On January 30, 1783, the "Gentleman's Magazine" reported that Moser "was followed to his grave in grand funeral pomp by all the capital artists, Sir Joshua Reynolds at their head as chief mourner, Sir William Chambers, etc. Ten mourning coaches, besides two gentlemen's coaches, were in the procession".
In The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth-Century London, Richard Edgcumbe devotes over 40 pages of text to Moser's work in addition to the many illustrations included.
The movement was made by English watchmaker J. Snelling but unfortunately it is not possible to say who "J. Snelling" is, as Brian Loomes' "Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World" already lists nine makers who go by that name.
Dial signature "Grignion London"
Thomas Grignion (1713-1784) was the son of Daniel Grignion (1684-1763), who in 1688 came to England from France. In his book "The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain", Brian Loomes states that the Grignion family was listed as "dealers and finishers". A watch made by Thomas Grignion is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.
estimated
80.000—100.000 €
Price realized
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