BONBRUICT, À BLOIS | AN EXCEPTIONAL GOLD AND ENAMEL VERGE WATCH DEPICTING SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF THE MADONNA THE ENAMEL PAINTING ATTRIBUTED TO ROBERT VAUQUERCIRCA 1660

• Movement: gilded full plate, verge escapement, polished steel two-arm balance with chamfered rim, decoratively pierced and floral engraved balance cock with long foot, worm and wheel set-up with silver indication plate and blued steel pointer, blued steel surrounding brackets, unusual turned baluster pillars, fusee and gut line, signed Bonbruict à Blois • Dial: white enamel chapter ring with Roman numerals, restored polychrome re-painted enamel centre depicting The Virgin with St. John the Baptist handing the Christ child a bird, gilded outer border with quarter hour divisions, gilded baluster-form hand with floriate tip• Case: polychrome enamel painted gold case with restoration, scenes after Simon Vouet depicting to the lid: The Virgin and Child; the inside of the lid: Rest on the Flight into Egypt; the back: The Virgin and Child with St. Joseph, Elizabeth and St John the Baptist within a classical setting, the Virgin holding a tethered dove; inside back with a gentleman and a lady within a classical landscape with an entrance gateway behind;  the rounded case sides with four pastoral vignettes separated by bouquets of flowers, plain ring pendant

Movement: running at time of cataloguing, backplate with light scuffs and scratches, blued steel work appears to have been restored (the brackets to worm and wheel set-up and the catch spring), worm also appears to be restored. Dial: restored and re-painted in hard-fired enamel. Case: the lid with some hairlines by the hinge, some further cracks and signs of restoration by the catch, a clear lacquer has been applied to the surface of the lid, this is partly peeling away and it is difficult to tell the extent of the restoration however the figures are very well executed. Scene to case back with some light scratches, the interior scene with some signs of restoration close to hinge, a clear lacquer has been applied to the surface making it hard to determine extent of any restoration, however, the scene is well executed. The case sides with multiple hairline cracks and areas of restoration.
"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."

Robert Vauquer (1625-1670) was one of the most accomplished enamel painters of his day and appears to have lived his entire life in Blois. His brother Jacques was an engraver who produced a series of designs for watch cases, examples of his engravings may be found in both the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum. For a similarly decorated watch with painted scenes attributed to Vauquer, see: Sotheby's Geneva, 13 November 2007, lot 86. Further examples of work attributed to Robert Vauquer may be found at the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva. Jean Bonbruict was a master from 1632, juré in 1649 and died in 1678. He took Simon Durand as an apprentice in 1632. Bombruict is mentioned in E. Develle, Les Horlogers Blésois, Blois 1917, pp.385-386 also in Thibaud Fourrier, Dictionnaire des Horlogers De Blois, Vol.111, p.11 and by Tardy, in Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, 1971, Vol.I, p.65. The maker's name is variously spelt Bonbruict of Bombruict.