An Exceptional Gold and Polychrome Enamel Open Face Pocket Watch Made For the Chinese Market WILLIAM ILBERY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, LONDON

WILLIAM ILBERY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, LONDON, NO.6645

56.00 mm case diameter, white enamel dial, black painted Roman numerals with outer chapter ring calibrated to 60 seconds, gilt spade hands with center sweep seconds hand, the bezel, stem and case back border accented in opaque blue, black and white enamel over a beaded texture ground in a repeated geometric motif, the fine polychrome enameled case back center intricately depicting a Chinese dignitary seated in horse-shoe back chair, wearing formal robe and hat while holding a fan, within an interior with a lotus pond, a pavilion and weeping willow trees in the distance, hinged gold cuvette, finely chased and engraved floral and scroll keywound duplex movement signed Ilbery N6645 London, the case marked with a matching number.

Diameter 2 1/4 inches.

Provenance: Ex-A&S Hartman Collection, No. G764 Note: For a similar example by Ilbery, see Christie's Geneva, November 12, 2012, sale 1391, Lot 194; Christie's New York, June 11, 2014, sale 2858, Lot 121; and Christie's Hong Kong, May 30, 2011, sale 2867, Lot 1968 and Lot 2173 A similar example (manufactured for the Chinese Market and depicting a Chinese dignitary) can be found in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, Switzerland.

The watch winds, sets and runs but has not been timed for accuracy. The watch is slow to start (setting time starts the movement). A professional cleaning and/or overhaul is recommended at the buyer's expense. The crystal shows scattered scratches that are not readily noticeable. The dial shows no hairlines at 10X magnification, the painted numerals and outer chapter ring show very subtle fading, the hands show no obvious wear or discoloration at 10X magnification. The outer border of the bezel and case back shows scattered minor loss to the blue, white and black enamel details. The case back portrait shows no appreciable fading or wear at 10X magnification, colors are bright and details are distinct. The inner case back, inner and outer cuvette show scattered superficial scratches, the outer cuvette shows even superficial scratches across the majority of the surface. The movement shows no signs of rust, the movement base plate shows scattered superficial scratches, the blued steel elements show minor wear with minute losses to finish, the engraved details are sharp and distinct.

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Chinese Works of Art: An Important Collection

An Exceptional Gold and Polychrome Enamel Open Face Pocket Watch Made For the Chinese Market WILLIAM ILBERY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, LONDON

WILLIAM ILBERY, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, LONDON, NO.6645

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