Huaud. A fine 18K gold and enamel openface verge watch
Huaud. A fine 18K gold and enamel openface verge watch

CASE SIGNED HUAUD LE PUIS NE FECIT, MOVEMENT SIGNED JEAN DE CHOUDENS, CIRCA 1685

細節
Huaud. A fine 18K gold and enamel openface verge watch
Case signed Huaud le puis ne fecit, movement signed Jean De Choudens, circa 1685
With detached incomplete gilt-finished verge movement, engraved and pierced cock and foot, plain three arm steel balance, chain fusée, the later white enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer Arabic five minute divisions, hands missing, the case with painted polychrome enamel pastoral vignettes to the band, framed by foliage and flowers on blue ground, the reverse with a painted polychrome enamel scene depicting Herod, Herodias and Salome, the interior also decorated with a painted pastoral scene, case signed Huaud Le puis né fecit, movement signed Jean De Choudens
39 mm. diam.
來源
A European Noble Family

拍品專文

Accompanied by a later gilt metal protective case with glazed covers.

The Geneva enamellers, particularly the Huaud (or Huaut) family, are renowned for their distinctive and beautiful style of enamel paintings. The outstanding work is characterized by their miniaturist style and use of rich and varied colours in contrast to the pastel shades of the French enamellers of Blois. The enamel cases decorated by the Huaud family are highly regarded works of art in their own right.

Pierre Huaud, son of the French goldsmith Jean Huaud and founder of the dynasty, was born in 1612. He moved to Geneva in 1630 and three of his eleven children became also renowned enamellers: Pierre II (1647-1698), Jean-Pierre (1655-1723) and Ami (1657-1724). It is likely that the three brothers trained in the workshop of their father until around 1680 when Pierre II set up his own business.

The second son Jean-Pierre entered into partnership with Ami in 1682. The present watch case, signed Huaud Le puis né, or Huaud the next-born, can be dated from this period.

In 1686 the brothers were appointed enamel painters to the Prince of Brandenburg, a position they held until their return to Geneva in 1700. They continued working until the death of Jean-Pierre in 1723 and Ami a year later. The watch cases of the Huauds are usually found with movements made by various English, French, German and Swiss makers to whom they were obviously sold at the time.

The watchmaker Jean De Choudens is listed as active at the end of the 17th century is listed in Tardy's Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, p. 159.