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Details
A MAGNIFICENT GOLD, DENDRITIC AGATE, ENAMEL AND PEARL SET DUPLEX POCKET WATCH FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
Ilbery, London, No.6124, Late 18th Century.
white enamel dial with Roman numerals and Arabic quarter hour divisions, gold moon hands, sweep centre seconds, chased and engraved gilt movement with hanging going barrel, five arm flat-rim steel balance with diamond endstone, duplex escapement, hexagonal tear-drop shaped case with translucent red enamel bezel on guilloche ground, blue and red enamel to the pendant and to the finial at VI, the sprung back cover set with dendritic agate and with seed pearl bezel, the front and back of the case set with moss agate, movement signed and numbered, 105mm x 64mm overall.
Ilbery, London, No.6124, Late 18th Century.
white enamel dial with Roman numerals and Arabic quarter hour divisions, gold moon hands, sweep centre seconds, chased and engraved gilt movement with hanging going barrel, five arm flat-rim steel balance with diamond endstone, duplex escapement, hexagonal tear-drop shaped case with translucent red enamel bezel on guilloche ground, blue and red enamel to the pendant and to the finial at VI, the sprung back cover set with dendritic agate and with seed pearl bezel, the front and back of the case set with moss agate, movement signed and numbered, 105mm x 64mm overall.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.
Further details
A similar watch, No.6179 was sold in these rooms on Tuesday 2nd April 1996, Lot 109 for 27,000. Another, No.6100 was sold Sotheby's, New York, "Masterpieces from The Time Museum" 2nd December 1999, Lot 29 for $47,500.Provenance:Family tradition has it that this watch was the property of Christopher Fearon, who lived with James Ilberry (sic) in Canton in 1825, and thus by descent to the present owners.This lot is accompanied by a booklet "Pedigrees of the Fearon Family trading into China" compiled by Lt. Colonel S.P. Fearon, the owners' uncle, in 1972, in which mention is made of Christopher Fearon living with James Ilberry in Canton, pp 7-8, and established a company together "Ilberry Fearon & Co." Further references are made to this company in "The Chronicles of the East India Company trading to China 1635-1834" by Hosea Ballon Morse, Oxford, 1926 Vol IV.P128. The foreign residents of Canton and Macao outside the English factory are named as on March 18th, 1826. These, as well as various Dent's, Jardine's and Matheson's, include Mr. Ilberry (arrived on November 20th 1825 with a diploma constituting him Hanoverian consul in China). The list also includes only two French residents, Messrs. Edward and Charles Bovet, listed as "Watchmakers" and noted as "actually Swiss".P148. The residents outside the English factory are named on 6th March, 1827. These now include Mr. Ilberry, Hanoverian Consul, Mr. Fearon, Hanoverian Vice-Consul..P163. The foreign residents listed on April 1st, 1828 includes two Hanoverians, The two Hanoverians bore the non-teutonic names of Christopher Fearon (Consul) and Ilbery (Vice-Consul), their non-British official position enabling them to resist any order from the select commitee to leave China.P187. The Private British Merchants listed on March 15th, 1829 include Mr. Ilberry, Hanoverian Consul, Mr. C. Fearon, Hanoverian Vice Consul. P190. A list of British country ships in 1829 records the consignees of 28 including one ship to Ilbery, Fearon & Co.