Allegory of Love pocket watch will have collectors smitten at Antiquorum

Made for the Chinese market, the exquisite pocket watch named the Allegory of Love is a marvel

As we've reported, an upcoming auction of fine watches and timepieces in Geneva will number a Breguet carriage clock and a pair of music boxes amongst its highlights.

However, it's not just the music boxes which will have those who are chasing the aesthetic and romantic in the auction. The extraordinary enameled three hammer & three gong minute-repeating pocket watch dubbed "Venus & Cupid - An Allegory of Love" is simply mesmerising.

Made around 1820, like so many beautifully enamelled pieces of this era it created for the Chinese market and is an extremely fine pearl-set pocket watch. It is, quite simply, a work of art like an elaborate portrait medal and its horological qualities seems like a bonus.

The timepiece is regulated by a Swiss movement attributed to Decombaz, and the extraordinary case by Frères Oltramare, with enamel styled after Isaac Adam.

Allegory of love pocket watch (est. CHF150,000-250,000)

Another highlight is one of just 210 examples of the Patek Philippe ref. 1526. These were made from 1941 to 1952, and this is from the second series made in 1945. A rare, 18K pink gold wristwatch, it boasts a perpetual calendar and moonphases accompanied.

Most examples are yellow gold, so the rose gold variation is harder to find. (A single stainless steel version is also known to exist.)

There is also a later Patek Philippe available for the specialist collector: a luminous dial ref. 3970 first sold on November 19th, 1992. In particularly fine condition, the rare, 18K yellow gold wristwatch is water-resistant with chronograph, perpetual calendar including leap year indication, moon phases, 24-hour indication and luminous dial and hands.

Held in its fitted box, it is accompanied by its instruction booklet, Certificate of Origin and an additional letter from  Patek Philippe regarding the luminous hands and dot markers. Finally, there is an additional solid 18K yellow gold case back.

Collectors on the lookout for a fine Swiss watch but without millions of dollars available should consider this timepiece by the Swiss luxury watchmakers, Longines, which we have available for sale, right now.

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Images: Antiquorum