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Bosley. A very fine 18K gold repoussé quarter repeating pair case verge watch, repoussé signed J. Wieland

SIGNED CHARLES BOSLEY, LONDON, NO. 3838, STAMPED WITH LONDON DATEMARK FOR 1777

Details

Bosley. A very fine 18K gold repoussé quarter repeating pair case verge watch, repoussé signed J. Wieland
Signed Charles Bosley, London, No. 3838, stamped with London datemark for 1777
With gilt-finished verge movement, chain fusée, finely engraved and pierced gilt-finished scroll decorated balance cock and foot, plain three arm brass balance, repeating on two hammers onto a bell, gilt dust cover, the white enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer Arabic five minute divisions, gilt beetle and poker hands, the inner case with finely engraved and pierced scroll and foliage decorated band, silent repeat push-piece underneath the blank bezel, repeating through the pendant, the outer case with finely chased, pierced and embossed scroll and foliage decorated bezel, an engraved snake around the thumbpiece, the reverse centred by a chased and embossed mythological scene in high relief signed J. Wieland, together with a leather covered gilt pinwork decorated outer protective case, case stamped with casemaker's initials SG possibly for Stephen Goujon and London datemark for 1777, dust cover, dial and movement signed
51 mm. diam.

Special notice

On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in lots consigned for sale. This interest may include guaranteeing a minimum price to the consignor of property or making an advance to the consignor which is secured solely by consigned property. Such property is offered subject to a reserve. This is such a lot.

Lot Essay

Charles Bosley was apprenticed in 1725, made free of the Clockmaker's Company on 7 August 1947 and Liveryman on 16 July 1766. He was furthermore the successor to William Kipling (1705-37), a fine maker.

The repoussé is most probably the work of James Wieland, active in Berkley Court in the 1760s, as described in Richard Edgcumbe's The Art of the Gold Chaser in 18th Century London. He furthermore mentions the influence of the renowned enameller and chaser George Michael Moser (see lot 58 in this sale) on Wieland's work, demonstrated by the snake around the thumbpiece.

It appears that the present watch would only be the 11th recorded example of a repoussé work signed J. Wieland, all found on watches by other renowned London makers such as Benjamin Gray, Charles Cabrier and J. Martineau Snr.

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