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Lot Essay
Combining the highest degree of scarcity with the beauty and permanence of grand feu enamel artistry and the confident simplicity of 1950s design, this Rolex ‘Chinese Dragon’ cloisonné enamel dial reference 6100 was purchased by the present owner at auction in 1990. Until consigned for this auction, it has been part of a highly important private collection and has not been seen on the market for 35 years. Its ultra exclusivity and desirability is further enhanced by the presence of the papers and accessories that accompanied the watch in 1990, including the Bulletin De Marche, dated 29th January 1953, and Bucherer, Lucerne, Chronometer Certificate dated 24th July, 1954.
It is an event of major significance when a truly stellar Rolex returns to auction after decades residing in a private collection. It is thought that only around half a dozen Rolex wristwatches with cloisonné ‘Chinese Dragon’ dial are known today, each example being of a different reference. Now Christie’s is extremely honoured and delighted to be able to offer this major Rolex artisan rarity once again to international collectors.
Rolex wristwatches with cloisonné enamel dials rank amongst the rarest jewels within the widespread family of horological masterpieces. It goes without saying that the combination of such an boldly attractive and artistic dial, paired with a unique status within the 6100 reference, catapults this vintage Rolex beyond exclusivity.
The ‘Chinese Dragon’ Cloisonné Dial
The dial of the present watch should not be underestimated as a unique and entirely handmade work of art, the very striking design depicts a stylized dragon in dark tones against a light colour background. It is thought that probably around 12 dials of this design were originally made although only around half this number are known to survive today. The ‘Chinese Dragon’ design can be attributed to one of the great enamel artists of the mid-20th century, Nelly Richard, whose confidence and experience in working in the very difficult medium of ‘grand feu’ enamelling has rarely, if ever, been equalled. The individual dials can be considered as unique pieces because although of the same design, they cannot be replicated precisely the same due to their handmade nature. Made by Stern Frères, the dial plate is of solid gold, the gold dial plate was then decorated by the artisan enameller, in this case Nelly Richard. Once the decoration was finished the dial was given an overall protective layer of clear ‘Zapon’ lacquer. The present dial is preserved in very good condition overall and with no suggestion of restoration or damage to the enamel. Some small areas of the surface ‘Zapon’ glaze have naturally deteriorated over the years, perhaps due to historic cleaning, which has resulted in the loss of the final ‘S’ of the word ‘Swiss’ below 6 o’clock. The word ‘Swiss’ having originally been applied over the lacquer coating which is a customary process in the manufacture for enamel dials at this period. The present dial has an honesty and originality that greatly adds to its vintage charm.
A study of the back of the dial reveals the correct punched coding: ‘103’ for the client, in this instance Rolex, ‘*’ for Stern Frères, and ‘390’ as the order number when it was requested. In addition, ‘No. 51’ is scratched into the gold surface, this is the number for this particular ‘Chinese Dragon’ design. All these markings on the back of the dial are under the translucent counter enamel surface, applied at the time of manufacture to equalize the stresses of the gold plate as it cooled after firing at very high temperature.
Cloisonné Dials
Cloisonné enamel dials quite naturally take a prominent position in terms of beauty, craftsmanship and rarity. Highly detailed and made by the very best enamel artists of the period, cloisonné enamel dials can be found decorated with other popular subjects such as tropical oasis, sail boats, flowers, portraits and maps. The dial maker Stern Frères supplied most of the great watch houses. The production of these solid gold dials was extremely costly as they had to be individually made by a skilled craftsman and not on a production line. The artist created the outline of the desired motif by arranging thin gold wires on a dial. These partitions, called ‘cloisons’ in French, were filled with small quantities of enamel powder in the desired colour. The dial was then fired in an oven at around 900 degrees Celsius causing the powder to melt. Finally it was hand-polished until a perfectly flat surface was obtained. Hand-made by celebrated enamel artists, notably Marguerite Koch and Nelly Richard, these dials can be regarded as superb and unique works of art in their own right.
Vintage cloisonnè dials such as the present dial exhibit a certain colour palette which is softer and more tonal than modern enamels. The beautiful effects were achieved because in the 1950s, materials such as lead, mercury and cyanide were still being used in the enamelling process. For obvious reasons they can no longer used and the result is that the new enamel techniques seen on recent cloisonné enamel dial watches, for example, although still of the very best craftsmanship and masterfully executed, have a bolder less spontaneous quality. Collectors today understand these subtle differences and early examples from the 1950s such as the present watch are consequently very highly prized.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella for his assistance and study in researching this watch.
Provenance:
The original owner, 1954.
Butterfield & Butterfield, 8th November 1990, lot 1621.
It is an event of major significance when a truly stellar Rolex returns to auction after decades residing in a private collection. It is thought that only around half a dozen Rolex wristwatches with cloisonné ‘Chinese Dragon’ dial are known today, each example being of a different reference. Now Christie’s is extremely honoured and delighted to be able to offer this major Rolex artisan rarity once again to international collectors.
Rolex wristwatches with cloisonné enamel dials rank amongst the rarest jewels within the widespread family of horological masterpieces. It goes without saying that the combination of such an boldly attractive and artistic dial, paired with a unique status within the 6100 reference, catapults this vintage Rolex beyond exclusivity.
The ‘Chinese Dragon’ Cloisonné Dial
The dial of the present watch should not be underestimated as a unique and entirely handmade work of art, the very striking design depicts a stylized dragon in dark tones against a light colour background. It is thought that probably around 12 dials of this design were originally made although only around half this number are known to survive today. The ‘Chinese Dragon’ design can be attributed to one of the great enamel artists of the mid-20th century, Nelly Richard, whose confidence and experience in working in the very difficult medium of ‘grand feu’ enamelling has rarely, if ever, been equalled. The individual dials can be considered as unique pieces because although of the same design, they cannot be replicated precisely the same due to their handmade nature. Made by Stern Frères, the dial plate is of solid gold, the gold dial plate was then decorated by the artisan enameller, in this case Nelly Richard. Once the decoration was finished the dial was given an overall protective layer of clear ‘Zapon’ lacquer. The present dial is preserved in very good condition overall and with no suggestion of restoration or damage to the enamel. Some small areas of the surface ‘Zapon’ glaze have naturally deteriorated over the years, perhaps due to historic cleaning, which has resulted in the loss of the final ‘S’ of the word ‘Swiss’ below 6 o’clock. The word ‘Swiss’ having originally been applied over the lacquer coating which is a customary process in the manufacture for enamel dials at this period. The present dial has an honesty and originality that greatly adds to its vintage charm.
A study of the back of the dial reveals the correct punched coding: ‘103’ for the client, in this instance Rolex, ‘*’ for Stern Frères, and ‘390’ as the order number when it was requested. In addition, ‘No. 51’ is scratched into the gold surface, this is the number for this particular ‘Chinese Dragon’ design. All these markings on the back of the dial are under the translucent counter enamel surface, applied at the time of manufacture to equalize the stresses of the gold plate as it cooled after firing at very high temperature.
Cloisonné Dials
Cloisonné enamel dials quite naturally take a prominent position in terms of beauty, craftsmanship and rarity. Highly detailed and made by the very best enamel artists of the period, cloisonné enamel dials can be found decorated with other popular subjects such as tropical oasis, sail boats, flowers, portraits and maps. The dial maker Stern Frères supplied most of the great watch houses. The production of these solid gold dials was extremely costly as they had to be individually made by a skilled craftsman and not on a production line. The artist created the outline of the desired motif by arranging thin gold wires on a dial. These partitions, called ‘cloisons’ in French, were filled with small quantities of enamel powder in the desired colour. The dial was then fired in an oven at around 900 degrees Celsius causing the powder to melt. Finally it was hand-polished until a perfectly flat surface was obtained. Hand-made by celebrated enamel artists, notably Marguerite Koch and Nelly Richard, these dials can be regarded as superb and unique works of art in their own right.
Vintage cloisonnè dials such as the present dial exhibit a certain colour palette which is softer and more tonal than modern enamels. The beautiful effects were achieved because in the 1950s, materials such as lead, mercury and cyanide were still being used in the enamelling process. For obvious reasons they can no longer used and the result is that the new enamel techniques seen on recent cloisonné enamel dial watches, for example, although still of the very best craftsmanship and masterfully executed, have a bolder less spontaneous quality. Collectors today understand these subtle differences and early examples from the 1950s such as the present watch are consequently very highly prized.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella for his assistance and study in researching this watch.
Provenance:
The original owner, 1954.
Butterfield & Butterfield, 8th November 1990, lot 1621.