Highlights: Magnificent Chinese Market Timepieces at Phillips Hong Kong
The Geneva sales have wrapped up, but the spring auction season continues in Hong Kong, where Phillips will offer a collection of unexpected and wonderful pocket watches made for the Chinese market in the 18th and 19th centuries. As Europeans became enamored with Chinese goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain, the Chinese were equally enraptured by European watches and clocks, often adorned with miniature enamel painting, pearls, gemstones, and hand engraving. Genevan enamelling, in particular, was world-leading and adorned some of the most elaborate timepieces of the 19th century. Proof of that can be found in the Patek Philippe Museum’s extensive collection of Chinese market watches and clocks. Today, Chinese market watches seem alien in their lavish and ornate decoration. Collectors’ tastes have become homogenized over time, particularly today, which makes historical Chinese market watches stand out as a world unto themselves, both in style and mechanics. A mini collection of such watches will be sold during the first session of Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XX at 6:30 pm on May 23, 2025. The extraordinary miniature enamelling found on a clockwatch by L. Vrard & Co. Lot 801 – Perfume Sprinkler Pistol by Moulinié & Bautte & Cie Geneva historically specialized in the manufacture of oddly shaped “fantasy watches” watches during the early 19th century. Common forms include fruits, musical instruments, animals, and flowers. Some of the more exotic fanta...
Fratello
