CASE NO. 2509, CIRCA 1896

This exceptional pocket watch, cased in richly toned 18k gold and measuring 55 mm in diameter, stands as a triumph of late nineteenth-century horology, uniting a highly complicated striking mechanism with the delicate art of miniature painting. The white enamel dial, fitted with elegant blue steel Breguet hands and numerals, features a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock and an outer minute track. Small apertures at 1 and 2 o'clock indicate the striking mode—whether the watch is set to grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, or silence.

The mechanical heart of this watch lies in its extraordinary striking capabilities. A grande sonnerie is among the most complex and demanding complications in traditional watchmaking, striking the hours and quarters automatically as time passes without any intervention from the wearer. Beyond this, the watch is equipped with a minute repeater, activated on demand by the push-piece, allowing the owner to hear the hours, quarters, and minutes at will. The striking mechanism is further elevated by a carillon system, which employs multiple hammers and gongs to produce a rich, chime-like melody rather than a simple two-tone strike. The combination of these functions in a single pocket watch is a feat of engineering of astonishing complexity, placing it at the very apex of late nineteenth-century horological achievement.

What renders this timepiece truly extraordinary, however, is its exceptional two-sided, mirror-image hand-painted enamel case back, a rare and demanding decorative technique that transforms the watch into a wearable work of art. The case back depicts a masterfully rendered scene after the renowned Renaissance master Raphael's famous work, the Madonna Alba, portraying Virgin Mary with the Christ Child and the infant Saint John the Baptist. The composition is executed with the finesse of classical oil painting—the vibrant lapis blues of the Virgin's mantle, the warm flesh tones, and the soft pastoral landscape in the background—yet preserved eternally in enamel. This mirror-image technique is a technical feat of considerable difficulty: the enameller must paint each translucent layer in reverse upon a gold plate, working with an understanding of how the image will appear when viewed from the other side, and firing the piece repeatedly in the kiln at extreme temperatures to build depth and luminosity. Offered in gorgeous and exceptionally well-preserved condition, this watch represents a singular convergence of high horology and fine art.