About this lot

Description

the silver outer case by William Howard, Birmingham 1813, the lid activated via a push button, the open faced pocket watch with unsigned cream coloured dial, 44mm diameter, black Arabic numerals, gold coloured spade hands and chemin de fer chapter ring, the case, 46mm diameter, the reverse with a scene of an amorous couple in a state of undress, sitting on a stool between draped curtains, the signed front loading mechanical key wind fusée movement ornately engraved and numbered 2022, with pierced and engraved balance cock, gross weight 126.6g and presented with the winding keyProvenance: By repute - Originally owned by Claude de Benales (See the book 'The Magnificent miner'), allegedly the richest man in Australia and thence by descent.Footnote: The earliest erotic pocket watches date back to the 17th century when wealthy clients were offered the option of having a dial or caseback customised with a painting or an engraving. Portraiture was a popular style and it was common to request an image of a spouse or a lover to be painted on the back. Religious authorities in the watchmaking areas of Switzerland formed an alliance to seize and destroy such watches. As a result, watchmakers either decorated the interiors of pair cased watches or found a way to create a separate hinged caseback that concealed the image so that the watch appeared no different from any other. Over time, erotic watches became a social taboo and when timepieces transitioned from the pocket to the wrist watch in the early 20th century, this clandestine tradition was all but forgotten.

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