![A GOLD DOUBLE DIALLED ASTRONOMICAL WATCH WITH DATE, SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC, LENGTH OF DAY AND MOON PHASES CIRCA 1800 [ 法國製黃金雙錶盤天文懷錶，備日期、星座、晝長及月相顯示，年份約1880]](https://dam.sothebys.com/dam/image/lot/3ae13f82-3345-47de-97f8-2af21ea9462c/primary/extra_small)
Masterworks of Time: Splendours for the East 「時間傑作：西器東傳」
Masterworks of Time: Splendours for the East 「時間傑作：西器東傳」
![View full screen - View 1 of Lot 520. A GOLD DOUBLE DIALLED ASTRONOMICAL WATCH WITH DATE, SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC, LENGTH OF DAY AND MOON PHASES CIRCA 1800 [ 法國製黃金雙錶盤天文懷錶，備日期、星座、晝長及月相顯示，年份約1880].](https://sothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/337c8aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1518x2000+0+0/resize/385x507!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia-desk%2Fbc%2F9a%2Fd97f2e2f4d9eb602e818c55d3f67%2F037ge20247-9y9wp-2.jpg)
French
A GOLD DOUBLE DIALLED ASTRONOMICAL WATCH WITH DATE, SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC, LENGTH OF DAY AND MOON PHASES CIRCA 1800 [ 法國製黃金雙錶盤天文懷錶，備日期、星座、晝長及月相顯示，年份約1880]
Lot Closed
November 12, 03:21 PM GMT
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
French
A GOLD DOUBLE DIALLED ASTRONOMICAL WATCH WITH DATE, SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC, LENGTH OF DAY AND MOON PHASES
CIRCA 1800
[ 法國製黃金雙錶盤天文懷錶，備日期、星座、晝長及月相顯示，年份約1880]
• Movement: gilded, cylinder escapement, cylindrical pillars
• Dials: first - white enamel, Arabic numerals, outer minute ring, subsidiary dial for date its central arbor acting as the winding square, gilt painted floral garland, blued steel moon hands • second - white enamel, centre blue enamel with moon phases and indications for equinox and solstice, polychrome enamel painted signs of the zodiac above with their dates, outermost scale for the lengths of day divided into weeks and indicated via a sun-tipped central hand
• Case: plain gold, double open-faced, gold stirrup pendant and bow
diameter 57mm
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The dial of the present lot clearly takes inspiration from Joseph Coteau.
Joseph Coteau (1740-1812) was possibly the most famous enameller of his day, supplying dials for the great clockmakers of France. Born in Geneva, he became maître-peintre-émailleur at the Académie de Saint-Luc in Geneva in 1766. By 1772 he was installed in Rue Poupée, Paris.
Coteau is celebrated not only for his dials, but also for his work as a skilled miniaturist. He discovered a new method for fixing raised gold on porcelain and worked closely with the Sèvres factory in developing their 'jewelled' porcelain. After the abolition of the guilds in 1791, enamellers were allowed to sell complete clocks without being required to include the name of the clockmaker.
Astronomical dials such as that seen here were more often found in larger formats, such as longcase clocks, due to their complexity. It is a testament to the talent of the maker that they were able to produce such a technically complex dial configuration within a case diameter of only 57 mm.