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Lot Essay
Consigned by a very important private collector, to the best of our knowledge, the present watch has never been offered in public before. The hand-painted on enamel horse racing scene by G. Menni is so superbly realized that it seems to capture the raw power and movement of the horses for a moment frozen in time. With exquisite and unusual engraved decoration further enhancing the case, it is in exceptional condition throughout and an undoubted artistic masterpiece. Taking up to one year to finish, the high production costs and the dwindling number of highly skilled enamellists ensure that these extraordinary watches are produced in very small numbers, each enamel painting being unique, they can be considered amongst the most covetable possessions in the world.
The enamel scene is entirely hand-painted and signed by G. Menni, one of the last great enamellists able to perpetuate the supremely exacting art of miniature painting on enamel. The scene ‘Course de Chevaux’ is taken after a picture by the artist Y. Delfo whose work is best known from glamourous travel posters. Specialising in works inspired by the impressionists and old masters in a wide range of styles, G. Menni used the secret alchemy of enamel painting to endow these special Patek Philippe watches with an artistry and skill of unequalled depth and finesse. G. Menni painted approximately 50 miniature enamels for Patek Philippe, working in Geneva in the late 20th Century. Some of his works include famous scenes such as the Renoir’s Déjeuner des Canotiers (1990), the Picasso clown (1989) and the Canaletto Canale Grande (1984).
The art of enamelling is an old and widely adopted technology with a history of more than 3000 years. All ancient cultures have known and applied enamel to decorate and provide luminosity and colour for jewellery and decorative ornaments.
Enamel is a vitreous substance based on silica sand and is transparent. Colour in enamel is obtained by the addition of various minerals, often metal oxides, which are pounded into a fine powder, mixed with water or oil to form a paste. When applied to a base in metal, glass or ceramics and fired in a kiln at temperatures usually between 750 and 850 °C (1,380 and 1,560 °F), the powder melts and fuses itself to the base resulting in a vitreous coating which is smooth, hard, resistant and durable. Unlike paint, enamel does not fade under ultraviolet light and therefore has long-lasting colour fastness.
When pocket watches became popular in the 16th century and were prized largely as luxury objects, craftsmen were asked to produce lavish cases of various materials and decorated in different techniques which reflected the wealth of their owners. Enamel, with its distinctive properties, became one of the mediums of choice, in particular, in the form of miniature paintings on enamel. With the varied palette of enamels yielding splendidly subtle shades, reminiscent of those of a watercolour, patrons gave free rein to their imagination and customized their cases with portraits, landscapes, seascapes or even reproductions of painting by famous artists.
The technique was developed in France in the 1630s and the savoir-faire was brought to Geneva by Huguenot immigrants fleeing religious persecution. Since the 17th century, the Geneva school of enamelling is renowned for the production of the finest miniature enamel paintings on pocket watches, which due to a new technique, possess additional durability and a unique brilliance which is highly prized.
Of all the enamel techniques, miniature painting on enamel remains to this day the rarest and most difficult of the decorative arts, merging technical virtuosity and artistic sensibility. According to Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, being an enameller is the hardest job in the world: “This is the great terror of enamelling. Yes, on the one hand, you have to have the patience of a saint; yes, you need nerves of steel and a steady hand; yes, you have to be blessed with rare artistic talent; but above all, you have to be able to live with the fear that the very process that perfects your work can just as soon destroy it. And that there’s nothing you can do about it.” An intricate design or painting can necessitate up to 25 times in the kiln and any variation in temperature, drafts of air or even a speck of dust can wipe out the work of one whole year.
The house of Patek Philippe, ever since its founding in 1839, has thrived to continue this Genevan tradition of “belle horlogerie”, or "beautiful watchmaking" by pairing the best watchmakers with the most highly-skilled craftsmen in their specialties – engravers, goldsmiths, enamellists and gem-setters. In particular, their Grand Feu miniature enameling is considered the best in the world and only a handful of the most highly-skilled enamellists were selected to sign their works for Patek Philippe.
A selection of Patek Philippe’s pocket watches embellished with enamel miniatures are on permanent exhibition at the prestigious Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, section "Enamelled and engraved pocket watches (1960-2000)", and illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches, Vol. II, pp. 368 – 381.
The enamel scene is entirely hand-painted and signed by G. Menni, one of the last great enamellists able to perpetuate the supremely exacting art of miniature painting on enamel. The scene ‘Course de Chevaux’ is taken after a picture by the artist Y. Delfo whose work is best known from glamourous travel posters. Specialising in works inspired by the impressionists and old masters in a wide range of styles, G. Menni used the secret alchemy of enamel painting to endow these special Patek Philippe watches with an artistry and skill of unequalled depth and finesse. G. Menni painted approximately 50 miniature enamels for Patek Philippe, working in Geneva in the late 20th Century. Some of his works include famous scenes such as the Renoir’s Déjeuner des Canotiers (1990), the Picasso clown (1989) and the Canaletto Canale Grande (1984).
The art of enamelling is an old and widely adopted technology with a history of more than 3000 years. All ancient cultures have known and applied enamel to decorate and provide luminosity and colour for jewellery and decorative ornaments.
Enamel is a vitreous substance based on silica sand and is transparent. Colour in enamel is obtained by the addition of various minerals, often metal oxides, which are pounded into a fine powder, mixed with water or oil to form a paste. When applied to a base in metal, glass or ceramics and fired in a kiln at temperatures usually between 750 and 850 °C (1,380 and 1,560 °F), the powder melts and fuses itself to the base resulting in a vitreous coating which is smooth, hard, resistant and durable. Unlike paint, enamel does not fade under ultraviolet light and therefore has long-lasting colour fastness.
When pocket watches became popular in the 16th century and were prized largely as luxury objects, craftsmen were asked to produce lavish cases of various materials and decorated in different techniques which reflected the wealth of their owners. Enamel, with its distinctive properties, became one of the mediums of choice, in particular, in the form of miniature paintings on enamel. With the varied palette of enamels yielding splendidly subtle shades, reminiscent of those of a watercolour, patrons gave free rein to their imagination and customized their cases with portraits, landscapes, seascapes or even reproductions of painting by famous artists.
The technique was developed in France in the 1630s and the savoir-faire was brought to Geneva by Huguenot immigrants fleeing religious persecution. Since the 17th century, the Geneva school of enamelling is renowned for the production of the finest miniature enamel paintings on pocket watches, which due to a new technique, possess additional durability and a unique brilliance which is highly prized.
Of all the enamel techniques, miniature painting on enamel remains to this day the rarest and most difficult of the decorative arts, merging technical virtuosity and artistic sensibility. According to Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, being an enameller is the hardest job in the world: “This is the great terror of enamelling. Yes, on the one hand, you have to have the patience of a saint; yes, you need nerves of steel and a steady hand; yes, you have to be blessed with rare artistic talent; but above all, you have to be able to live with the fear that the very process that perfects your work can just as soon destroy it. And that there’s nothing you can do about it.” An intricate design or painting can necessitate up to 25 times in the kiln and any variation in temperature, drafts of air or even a speck of dust can wipe out the work of one whole year.
The house of Patek Philippe, ever since its founding in 1839, has thrived to continue this Genevan tradition of “belle horlogerie”, or "beautiful watchmaking" by pairing the best watchmakers with the most highly-skilled craftsmen in their specialties – engravers, goldsmiths, enamellists and gem-setters. In particular, their Grand Feu miniature enameling is considered the best in the world and only a handful of the most highly-skilled enamellists were selected to sign their works for Patek Philippe.
A selection of Patek Philippe’s pocket watches embellished with enamel miniatures are on permanent exhibition at the prestigious Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, section "Enamelled and engraved pocket watches (1960-2000)", and illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches, Vol. II, pp. 368 – 381.