Denis Bordier

A FINE AND SMALL GOLD AND ENAMEL SINGLE CASED VERGE WATCH THE ENAMEL PAINTING ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE HUAUD II CIRCA 1675

• Movement: gilded full plate, verge escapement, plain flat steel two-arm balance, worm and wheel set-up with blued steel scrolling brackets, finely pierced and decoratively engraved screwed-on balance cock with long foot, fusee and gut line, rounded baluster pillars, signed Denis Bordier
• Dial: white enamel chapter ring with Roman numerals interspersed with half hour divisions, dial centre with translucent green enamel over decorative engraving, a white opaque enamel flower beneath the centre of the single turned gilded hand
• Case: gold, the back framed with a polychrome enamel band of flowers en ronde bosse, separated from the central oval reserve by a border of translucent green enamel over decorative concentric circular engraving, the central reserve with polychrome enamel depiction of Minerva, the inside case back with further polychrome enamel painting of Apollo against a light blue background, gold bezel decoratively engraved with stylised leaves
diameter 32mm

Provenance:
A few watch cases of similar design to the present piece are known and their enamel work is usually attributed to the Huaud family. The portrait to the interior of the watch is a familiar image of a gentleman dressed in a flamboyant costume and wearing an elaborate plumed helmet, traditionally considered to be a depiction of Louis XIV appearing as Apollo, the Sun King, in the Court Ballet de la Nuit in 1653. The style of the enamel decoration would suggest an attribution to Pierre Huaud II (1647-1698) eldest son of Pierre Huaud I (1612-1680). Pierre Huaud II's work exhibits many of the characteristics employed by his father, namely the flinqué ground with translucent enamel and the raised en-ronde-bosse enamel borders decorated with flowers and foliage. A watch with movement by Jean-Baptiste Duboule in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum has a case of similar design to the present watch; attributed to Pierre Huaud's brother, Jean-Pierre (1655-1723), the latter watch also features Minerva to the case back and a figure with a plumed helmet to the inside case back, the Duboule watch's enamel borders are also executed en-ronde-bosse in a similar manner to the present watch. For the Duboule watch, see: P. Friess, Patek Philippe Museum, Vol. III, Inv. S-130 p.202). For a further similar watch attributable to the Huauds but with movement by Isaac Gravelle, see: Sotheby's Geneva, 10 May 2009, lot 108.

Denis Bordier was born in Geneva in 1629 and died in 1708.