ATTRIBUTED TO JOSEF SPIEGEL | A LARGE SILVER REPOUSSE QUARTER STRIKING AND REPEATING COACH WATCH WITH DATECIRCA 1750

• Movement: gilt full plate, verge escapement, pierced balance cock decoratively engraved with foliage and a grotesque mask at the neck, silver regulation plate, four trains for the alarm, repeater, strike and time, four hammers striking on nesting bell, interior bezel and barrels with decorative engraving, stylised lyre-form pillars, fusee and chain, bearing the signature Miroir, London and numbered 55 • Dial: silver champlevé, Roman numerals, outer arcaded Arabic minute ring, central alarm indicator disc, aperture for date above 12 o'clock, blued steel beetle and poker hands, setting square for alarm disc above 6 o'clock• Case: silver, the back with repoussé chased and engraved scene of the Arts and Trades with Mercury, surrounded by shell and scrollwork borders, four apertures to the centre for winding the separate trains, the bezels pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage and shell motifs, aperture to the bezel between 6 and 7 o'clock for the pull repeat

Dial: light scuffs throughout, areas of rust to the hands Case: heavy tarnishing, repousse worn and loss of detail to the high relief areas. Movement: complete, running and striking at the time of cataloguing. Pull repeat working correctly, full strike working intermittently. Would benefit from a clean and service.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Although signed by Miroir, London, this coach watch is of German origin and was likely made in Friedberg by the watchmaker Josef Spiegel. A half-quarter repeating coach watch by Spiegel can be found in the British Museum, to the movement of that watch, Spiegel has signed his surname in reverse: 'Jo Legeips, London.'  Spiegel itself translates as 'mirror' in English and it would therefore appear that the maker's use of reversed signatures as well as signing other watches using the French word for mirror (miroir) was carried out somewhat tongue in cheek. A very similar coach watch with almost identical repoussé scene but bearing the signature Gilles De Beefe was sold at Sotheby's New York, 10 December 2015, lot 237.