Description
CZAPEK & Cie, Geneva Half-Chronometer Mid-19th century Enameled gold present watch bearing the effigy of Prince Napoléon-Jérôme with double date and diablotine chronograph. Round hinged case, enameled back on a rhinestone surround, central medallion, grisaille enamel depicting Prince Jérôme Napoléon, gold bowl, signed "Czapek & Cie à Genève Place Vendôme 25 Paris". White enamel dial, Roman numerals, off-center hours and minutes at 9 o'clock, hour counter at 12 o'clock, weekday and date indications on two auxiliary dials at 12 and 3 o'clock, chronograph hand in the center with railway minute track, auxiliary seconds at 6 o'clock with this function graduated from 1 to 5 called "diablotine". Mechanical movement with key winding, half-chronometer type for rate precision, differential with double gear train, two barrels, compensated balance-spring, anchor escapement, one advance/retard adjustment racket. retard. Diameter: 58 mm Gross weight: 98.4 g. Red morocco case, monogrammed "N" and surmounted by an imperial crown, signed inside "Czapek & Cie Genève Horlogers de L.L.A.A.L.L le prince Napoléon et la princesse Clotilde 25 Place Vendôme Paris". Provenance: Inherited since the 19th century. AN IMPERIAL WATCH Prince Napoleon-Jérôme was born in Trieste on September 9, 1822, and died in Rome on March 17, 1891. Son of Jérôme Bonaparte and first cousin of Emperor Napoleon III, he was a political and military figure of the Second Empire. He was known as "Prince Napoléon" and colloquially as "Plon-Plon". On the back of our watch, a Geneva-made grisaille enamel miniature depicts Prince Napoleon. As the case mentions Princess Clothilde, whose marriage to the prince dates back to 1859, we can deduce a date between 1859 and the end of the Second Empire in 1870. THE DIABLOTINE: A RARE COMPLICATION Our watch is undoubtedly one of the finest discoveries of recent years in the field of Czapek complication watches, given the addition and complexity of the Diablotine in its chronograph mechanism. The Diablotine, also known as the "seconde foudroyante" (lightning second), is graduated to 1/5th of a second. There is also a double date display, for the date and days of the week. To date, only one similar watch is known in the annals of auctioneering. Antiquorum, 1991, Hong Kong, lot 285. In addition to the diablotine, our watch has another rare feature for a timepiece of this period. It is a grisaille enamelled miniature. The Patek Philippe Museum collection includes similar enamelled watches from the same period. The last one to be sold came directly from Prince Napoleon's family: Napoléon, Plon-Plon (1822-1891); Prince Victor Napoléon (1862-1926); Prince Louis Napoléon (1914-1997). Sotheby's, London, July 4, 2018, lot 69. CZAPEK & PATEK Czapek was certainly one of the most gifted watchmakers of his generation. Among others, he was the first partner of Antoine Norbert de Patek. These two Polish émigrés, who had fled to Geneva in 1836, founded a factory in 1839, which took the name "Patek Czapek & Cie. After six years of working together to create exceptional timepieces, the company became known as "Patek Philippe". PLACE VENDÔME Paris plays an important role in the world of watchmaking. It was here, in 1844, that Patek met Philippe. At the national exhibition on the Champ-de-Mars, the brilliant watchmaker Adrien Philippe presented his innovation and patent for the winding crown. It was also at this time that Czapek established itself in Paris at no. 25 Place Vendôme. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENAMEL: AN INNOVATIVE PROCESS In addition to rare complications, 19th-century watchmakers sought to incorporate the most innovative inventions of the industrial arts, notably photography, into these pocket luxury items. In "L'art de la photographie ,1862", the famous photographer Disdéri describes a process perfected by Lafon de Camarsac around 1855: "the vitrification of the photographic image", particularly on enamel. The principle is based on the inclusion of unalterable colorants in a photogenic adhesive layer. The process transforms "heliographic drawings into indelible paints". Jewelers and watchmakers were quick to incorporate these unalterable photographs into their designs for watches, pendants and bracelets,
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CZAPEK & Cie, Geneva Half-Chronometer Mid-19th century Enameled gold present watch bearing the effigy of Prince Napoléon-Jérôme with double date and diablotine chronograph. Round hinged case, enameled back on a rhinestone surround, central medallion, grisaille enamel depicting Prince Jérôme Napoléon, gold bowl, signed "Czapek & Cie à Genève Place Vendôme 25 Paris". White enamel dial, Roman numerals, off-center hours and minutes at 9 o'clock, hour counter at 12 o'clock, weekday and date indications on two auxiliary dials at 12 and 3 o'clock, chronograph hand in the center with railway minute track, auxiliary seconds at 6 o'clock with this function graduated from 1 to 5 called "diablotine". Mechanical movement with key winding, half-chronometer type for rate precision, differential with double gear train, two barrels, compensated balance-spring, anchor escapement, one advance/retard adjustment racket. retard. Diameter: 58 mm Gross weight: 98.4 g. Red morocco case, monogrammed "N" and surmounted by an imperial crown, signed inside "Czapek & Cie Genève Horlogers de L.L.A.A.L.L le prince Napoléon et la princesse Clotilde 25 Place Vendôme Paris". Provenance: Inherited since the 19th century. AN IMPERIAL WATCH Prince Napoleon-Jérôme was born in Trieste on September 9, 1822, and died in Rome on March 17, 1891. Son of Jérôme Bonaparte and first cousin of Emperor Napoleon III, he was a political and military figure of the Second Empire. He was known as "Prince Napoléon" and colloquially as "Plon-Plon". On the back of our watch, a Geneva-made grisaille enamel miniature depicts Prince Napoleon. As the case mentions Princess Clothilde, whose marriage to the prince dates back to 1859, we can deduce a date between 1859 and the end of the Second Empire in 1870. THE DIABLOTINE: A RARE COMPLICATION Our watch is undoubtedly one of the finest discoveries of recent years in the field of Czapek complication watches, given the addition and complexity of the Diablotine in its chronograph mechanism. The Diablotine, also known as the "seconde foudroyante" (lightning second), is graduated to 1/5th of a second. There is also a double date display, for the date and days of the week. To date, only one similar watch is known in the annals of auctioneering. Antiquorum, 1991, Hong Kong, lot 285. In addition to the diablotine, our watch has another rare feature for a timepiece of this period. It is a grisaille enamelled miniature. The Patek Philippe Museum collection includes similar enamelled watches from the same period. The last one to be sold came directly from Prince Napoleon's family: Napoléon, Plon-Plon (1822-1891); Prince Victor Napoléon (1862-1926); Prince Louis Napoléon (1914-1997). Sotheby's, London, July 4, 2018, lot 69. CZAPEK & PATEK Czapek was certainly one of the most gifted watchmakers of his generation. Among others, he was the first partner of Antoine Norbert de Patek. These two Polish émigrés, who had fled to Geneva in 1836, founded a factory in 1839, which took the name "Patek Czapek & Cie. After six years of working together to create exceptional timepieces, the company became known as "Patek Philippe". PLACE VENDÔME Paris plays an important role in the world of watchmaking. It was here, in 1844, that Patek met Philippe. At the national exhibition on the Champ-de-Mars, the brilliant watchmaker Adrien Philippe presented his innovation and patent for the winding crown. It was also at this time that Czapek established itself in Paris at no. 25 Place Vendôme. PHOTOGRAPHIC ENAMEL: AN INNOVATIVE PROCESS In addition to rare complications, 19th-century watchmakers sought to incorporate the most innovative inventions of the industrial arts, notably photography, into these pocket luxury items. In "L'art de la photographie ,1862", the famous photographer Disdéri describes a process perfected by Lafon de Camarsac around 1855: "the vitrification of the photographic image", particularly on enamel. The principle is based on the inclusion of unalterable colorants in a photogenic adhesive layer. The process transforms "heliographic drawings into indelible paints". Jewelers and watchmakers were quick to incorporate these unalterable photographs into their designs for watches, pendants and bracelets,
