Lot Essay
William Ilbery (Ilbury) was a renowned London watchmaker, living from 1780 to 1851. He was a great artist and technician and his watches showed exquisite enamelling work, mostly from Geneva, together with a high technical accuracy in the movement.
In 1836 Ilbery went to live in Fleurier, after that he travelled to Macao in 1839 and then to Canton. There Ilbery was known to have become friendly with Bovet and to meet him frequently. This was even though they were rivals not only in business but also in their private life. Both courtshipping Anna Vaucher, daughter of Charles-Henry Vaucher (Fleurier) and a competitor of Bovet in Canton.
Ilbery was in actual fact engaged to Anna Vaucher and even though he was constantly on travels Anna remained faithful to Ilbery and resisted the continuous proposals of Bovet who always hoped, one day to win her over. Unfortunately no marriage ever took place since Anna became ill and died in 1845.
Even though William Anthony (1764-1844) was 16 years senior to Ilbery and was quite influencial and sourceful to Ilberys work and to the Chinese Watch developement it is still Wiliam Ilbery (Ilbury) who is known as the creator of the Chinese watches. Thus being a quite simple type of calibre movement but with decorated case and as time passed the decorated cases became more and more successful and the enamel more and more sophisticated.
The Chinese watch was in actual fact nothing other than a chronometer of the period, traded frequently in Europe which only after time became highly appreciated and fashionable by the Chinese clientele and was only then adopted as a product for the Chinese Market, mostly for the Emperor.
In 1836 Ilbery went to live in Fleurier, after that he travelled to Macao in 1839 and then to Canton. There Ilbery was known to have become friendly with Bovet and to meet him frequently. This was even though they were rivals not only in business but also in their private life. Both courtshipping Anna Vaucher, daughter of Charles-Henry Vaucher (Fleurier) and a competitor of Bovet in Canton.
Ilbery was in actual fact engaged to Anna Vaucher and even though he was constantly on travels Anna remained faithful to Ilbery and resisted the continuous proposals of Bovet who always hoped, one day to win her over. Unfortunately no marriage ever took place since Anna became ill and died in 1845.
Even though William Anthony (1764-1844) was 16 years senior to Ilbery and was quite influencial and sourceful to Ilberys work and to the Chinese Watch developement it is still Wiliam Ilbery (Ilbury) who is known as the creator of the Chinese watches. Thus being a quite simple type of calibre movement but with decorated case and as time passed the decorated cases became more and more successful and the enamel more and more sophisticated.
The Chinese watch was in actual fact nothing other than a chronometer of the period, traded frequently in Europe which only after time became highly appreciated and fashionable by the Chinese clientele and was only then adopted as a product for the Chinese Market, mostly for the Emperor.