Patek Philippe

In the world of watch collecting, miniature enamel pocket watches are quickly becoming the most coveted and expensive watches in the world. Recent auction prices continue to underline the trend as record after record continues to be broken. There is good reason why these watches are going up in value. The supply is incredibly low and the quality is exceedingly high. They are not considered only watches but true works of art made with an attention to detail in a nearly lost art.

The titans of the art of enameling from the last generation include names such as Rohr, Mennir, Pellarin-LeRoy and, of course, the celebrated Madame Marthe Bischoff. Few artists are capable of the level of detail as Bischoff and her work continues to demand increasingly higher prices on the market as more people recognize her distinguished work and her place in the pantheon of mid-century enamelists. Take a close look at the three dimensionality of this enamel and you will be left breathless. In person, the light plays with the enamel and the horses become alive in the eyes of the viewer with every vein pulsating on the horse’s head; the manes are painted in such detail you can distinguish each brushstroke. Perhaps the most striking part of the painting is each horses’ eyes staring beyond the onlooker passively and fearlessly. Bischoff’s mastery of miniature painting horses is second to none and this watch offers the collector an opportunity to own one of her masterpieces.

For another miniature enamel by Madame Marthe Bischoff featuring horses, please see Patek Philippe Museum books, Volume II, page 375.