THE IMPERATRICE MARIE-LOUISE. Rare gift collar watch of the - Lot 121

Lot n° 121
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Estimation :
10000 - 12000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 18 750EUR
THE IMPERATRICE MARIE-LOUISE. Rare gift collar watch of the - Lot 121
THE IMPERATRICE MARIE-LOUISE. Rare gift collar watch of the Empress Marie-Louise. Key watch with cock movement. Gold case, white enamelled dial with Arabic numerals. Blue enamelled caseback, decorated with the Marie-Louise "M.L." number surmounted by the imperial crown and set with fine pearls. Reverse side with a blue enamelled back, decorated with a bee (sparkles). Obverse and reverse lined with strings of pearls in succession. Diameter: 34mm (Missing the key, two splinters, one of which has been restored to the blue enamel on the reverse). Punched " 47 " and engraved with drypoint " 548c " A.B.E. First Empire period. Circa 1813. Work attributed to Nitot. History: There are orders for small neck watches that could be ours: "Twenty-six small watches of various necks, in enamelled gold, with entourages, numbers, superb emblems and accompanied by their chains and keys" (4/09/1811). Watches of this type were charged between 250 francs and 300 francs. Several watches of a similar model are known: - One is kept at the Château de Fontainebleau, but is decorated with the Emperor's number "N". It was offered in 1813 by the Empress to Mademoiselle Soufflot, daughter of a chambermaid of the King of Rome. At the fall of the Empire in 1814, Marie-Louise took this watch with her and offered it to Fanny Soufflot, who was the King of Rome's playmate in Vienna until October 1815. The case bears the number 31. - The other, which went on sale in 2009 (Rouillac), is decorated with the number in "bâton" letters, like ours. It is numbered 47 and was offered to the famous Madame Minette, the King of Rome's linen maid. - One sold in 2014 (Bonham's), identical to the previous one, except that the enamels were opaque sky blue. It would have been given to Emilie de Pellepra. - One sold in 2016 (Osenat), with an interlaced number on a green enamel background.
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