TRAVAIL SUISSE Lot n° 37

Astronomical gold metal oval watch made especially for the Ottoman market Oval shaped case, rich decoration of foliage and flowers on the cover as well as on the middle and back with sliding opening for the key, a ring on the pendant. Dial richly decorated with foliage and flower motifs, astronomical indications in a window and on a sub-dial for the date, opening for the phases of the moon, off-center hour indications, all in Turkish characters and numerals. Mechanical movement with key winding, verge escapement, spiral pre-balance, spindle and hose (broken), the plate richly decorated with foliage, a stylized cockerel in the form of "Ottoman Minaret", signature of the watchmaker in Turkish characters. (Broken hose) Height. 80 mm Width. 50 mm Gross weight. 193.6 gr PROVENANCE Sale by Maître Étienne Ader, Collection Jubinal de Saint-Albin, Hôtel Drouot, February 18, 1960. This watch is a perfect illustration of the richness and complexity of watches made for the Ottoman market in the mid-17th century. As the Habsburg ambassador based in Constantinople wrote in 1555: "There is no city more magnificent or better suited to trade than Constantinople". If trade was thriving at the time, it was through the French embassy that the first Swiss timepieces made their appearance on the Ottoman market. The Swiss having obtained special privileges following the treaty signed by Francis I in Fribourg in 1516, they settled very quickly to make the art of watchmaking prosper. The first colony of Geneva watchmakers settled in Galata, the foreigners' quarter. At the end of the 17th century, there were already nearly a hundred members of the watchmakers' guild on the spot. Isaac Rousseau, a specialist in repairs, was appointed Timekeeper at the Topkapi Palace. Rousseau, more commonly known as the "Watchmaker of the Seraglio", was responsible for the assembly of the timepieces that came from the city of Geneva or Basel. Some of the most sought-after watches were equipped with Western and Muslim time indications, in theory the setting had to be done at sunset. Our example illustrates perfectly the decorative richness of the cases but also the extreme complexity of the watch movements with astronomical indications. Our watch has remained in the hands of the same family since its acquisition at the famous sale of the Jubinal de Saint-Albin collection.