This spring auction we offer five rare historical watches; special because of their origin, technique, finish or maker. Each and every one true collector’s item.

The two oldest watches are both so-called knol. The first, a Dutch example, was made by Etienne Hubert the Younger (1670-1752). Descended from a well-known family of clockmakers from Rouen, these French Huguenots settled in the Netherlands at the end of the seventeenth century. Etienne lived in the Torensteeg in Amsterdam, between the Singel and the Spuistraat, near the Nieuwe Kerk.
This watch is beautifully decorated inside and out; for example, the inside is engraved with eagle heads, leaf motifs and fruits and the Roman numerals that indicate the hours are connected by arch motifs, which gives the impression of a gallery. The hands are richly decorated with curls and the signature is shown in a cartouche framed with rocailles. Finally, even the tortoise shell, which is in good condition, is decorated with a pattern of silver studs.

The other knob is of English make. Made in the middle of the eighteenth century by the London John Markham. Special is that this watch is not made of silver but of 18 kt. gold. An exclusive watch for an exclusive owner. In addition, this watch has not one but two overcases. One in gilded copper with a driven mythological representation and one of green colored shagreen decorated with gilded rosettes.

The third watch is rare because of its technique. Signed Rentzsch London, but possibly with a Swiss movement. The watch cannot be opened, unless screwed open, and is wound by turning the case.

The fourth watch is a very early wristwatch, dated around 1840. It is a gold bracelet, fully enamelled with a decoration of butterflies, flowers and leaf motifs. The band has a lid on both the front and the back. The lid on the back is decorated with a text in ornamental Arabic and contains a space for a lock of hair, miniature portrait or something of that nature. The lid on the front is provided with a portrait of a lady with a bunch of grapes, made of enamel de peinture. When we open the lid a watch appears. The dial made of gold, shows Roman and Arabic numerals and contains an alarm clock with extensive adjustment possibilities. A unique piece of its kind!

The last watch looks like a perfectly normal coin in a pendant at first glance. But nothing could be further from the truth! When we open the pendant eye, a crown set with a cabochon-cut sapphire appears and when we press it, the coin springs open. A golden guilloche dial with the signature Cartier Paris Londres appears.

Imagine looking at a coin and thinking, ‘Hey, I’m putting a movement in there!’ This was the thought of head watchmaker of the European Watch and Clock Company in Paris, Joseph Vergely, who perfected the technique of placing an ultra-thin movement between two halves of a coin. The idea caught on and from the 1920s onwards, almost all major watch houses made coin watches. A trend that continued until the middle of the century and then gradually decreased. Cartier is one of these houses with a large production of coin watches. The watch we offer was made in the late 1920s – early 1930s and is therefore an early example. The coin is a British five-pounder from 1877, minted to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. One side shows her portrait, the other side, which conceals the dial, shows St. George and the dragon.

Coin watches are not made to be worn; the real fun is the recurring ‘WOW!’ moment after pressing the crown. The coin watch is therefore the ultimate conversation piece!