A very rare early 18 karat gold pocket watch Czapek Partner to Patek Philippe Start Price USD 2,500.00 Current Price USD 2,500.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, November 15, 2008 End Time Monday, December 15, 2008 Location Amsterdam See more about 'A very rare early 18 karat gold pocket watch Czapek' Description You can buy this item with the function.  This function however does not always show/work properly. That’s why we advise you, if you want to make us an offer, to also contact us  through the Ask seller a question  button. We will always react to your offer. A very rare early 18 karat gold pocket watch Czapek Partner to Patek Philippe The watch is in good working condition the watch case is beautifully decorated and shows no signs of wear. The white enamel dial appears to show some hearlinecracks however they are hardly visible without the use a  loupe MOVEMENT: The  9 jewels lever escapement movement CONDITION: All original and good. see pictures DEFECTS: None, working well! DATE/MARKS ON WATCH: circa 1845 no. 15492 DIMENSIONS: 42x56 mm including ring. WEIGHT WATCH: Approx. 37,8 grams gross. We do not ship to Africa, Asia or Russia. If you have any questions do contact us prior to the ending of the auction! Money must be in my account within 5 days after the auction All payment must be cleared before shipping!   Payment details: Payment from within the European Union: in euro’s by bank transfer, money order or cash in registered mail. PayPal available only from outside the European Union and only if transferred from a PayPal cash account (you can create a PayPal cash account by transferring money from your bank account into your PayPal account) All payments need to be cleared before shipping. Local pickup only by appointment. SHIPPING COST: Registered mail within the Netherlands: €10,-=$15.50,- outside the Netherlands: €13,50=$20,-= 11 GBP We sell New, pre-owned, collectible and antique merchandise. All items not specified as being new may have small indications of use or mild wear consistent with age. We are totally committed to your satisfaction! Check our feedback, and bid with confidence.                 François Czapek Was a Polish émigré, who in 1831 arrived in Switzerland after the fall of the Polish insurrection against Russia. ot long after that date he established a watchmaking enterprise, called Czapek and Moreau. Mr. Moreau had a very beautiful niece who won the heart of another young Pole, Antoni Patek. The two became engaged, and three months short of their wedding date, Patek, Czapek, and Moreau signed an agreement establishing a new company - Patek & Czapek. The partnership lasted six years during hich some exceptional watches were produced. After the dissolution, Czapek founded "Czapek et Cie", also with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski. Czapek's new company did well. Gruzewski was a personal friend of apoleon III, and Czapek quickly became watchmaker to the court of the Emperor. He had a factory in Geneva, a shop in Warsaw, and another in Paris. He wrote a small book about watches and watchmaking in which he announced that he was working on a larger volume, but he unfortunately died be ore publishing it. An interesting fact is that Czapek's early watches incorporate Philippe's patented sliding pinion winding mechanism. In his book Czapek states that in his shop he used only this design. The highest serial number on a Czapek watch we have seen is 10705, and the lowest one is 1230, which leads us to conclude that he started numbering from 1000. We thus believe that Czapek's total production was about 9,000 watches. Among about 60 watches made or finished by Czapek that we have seen, certain ones are of outstanding quality. This comes as no surprise, for if he had not been an outstanding watchmaker, Patek would have never formed a partnership with him. The Patek Philippe Collection includes Czapek's regulator clock with a free, double wheel detent escapement. The King Farouk Collection had an outstanding gold and enamel cigar case combined with a watch, made for the Great Exhibition of 1851, which was sold y Antiquorum on April 25, 1993, lot 347. Watches destined for Royal and Imperial families were often not signed by the watchmaker, and they were exempted from bearing the official guarantee marks. Many such watches are known. The best example may be a watch by Patek Philippe, o. 25308, ordered on the occasion of the Duke of Montpensier's marriage to Princess Luisa Fernanda on Oct 10, 1864, and now in the Patek Philippe Museum. Like the present watch, it is only stamped with the serial number. As to the identity of the maker of the present watch there is little doubt that it is François Czapek, who was watchmaker to Emperor apoleon III. Such an important watch would almost certainly be entrusted to the Imperial watchmaker. Further details support a Czapek origin. The serial number is consistent with Czapek's numbering system and corresponds roughly to the years 1859-60. Moreover, the case was made by the casemaker most often used by Czapek; the best example being watch o. 4354 Anti uorum, Geneva, 24 April 1999, lot 427 which is punched with the same casemaker's mark and enameled with the coat of arms of apoleon III.   Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!