Pendant watch: a significant, museum-quality astronomical watch in gold, enamel and rock crystal, made by S. Bartram c. 1620–1630

292-4312  Pendant watch: a significant, museum-quality astronomical watch in gold, enamel and rock crystal, made by S. Bartram c. 1620–1630

Ca. 90 x 45 mm, ca. 232 g, exceptionally rare size, gold, enamel and facetted rock crystal, signed oval movement with balance wheel and gut string, exquisitely engraved astronomical dial with 7 complications, calendar, moon phase and zodiac calendar, single-hand, silver dial with engraved village scene, very good condition, in working order, a sensational early astronomical pendant watch. Provenance: Sotheby’s 1982, estimated price 200,000–250,000 Swiss francs, previously in various important collections, including the Carl Marfels Collection, the Edward Hornby Collection and the George Daniels Collection, illustrated in Clutton/Daniels’ *Watches* Nos. 109–111. Gold pendant watches from this period are generally extremely high-quality, museum-grade collector’s items: 1. (https://www.cortrie.de/go/NoQ). 2. (https://www.cortrie.de/go/NoQ). The hammer price includes 19% German VAT! This means that the price will be reduced by 19% for buyers with a delivery address outside the EU. Only a few examples are known to feature a highly complicated astronomical movement. The watch has been known for many decades through numerous changes of ownership and is considered unique. Opinions among experts differ regarding the case. According to George Daniels, the movement and case date from around 1620; there are clear similarities with the gold and enamel setting of the Streibel watch. According to Simon Bull, a renowned expert on early clocks, it is highly likely that this clock is one of the famous works by Reinhold Vasters, who created significant rock crystal, gold and enamel pieces in the 19th century and incorporated important original components from the Renaissance period into his clocks (https://www.cortrie.de/go/Ble).(https://www.cortrie.de/go/EZZ). His outstanding works are now held in major collections and museums and fetch record prices at auction. Seventy years after his death, design drawings discovered at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London proved that, for example, numerous exhibits on display there of the ‘Renaissance jewellery’ in vogue at the time, as well as at least 45 others from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, were of his own making. These include, for example, the famous ‘Rospigliosi Bowl’, which had previously been attributed to Benvenuto Cellini.