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Clocks and Scientific Instruments

Pocket watch

Key data

Casing: Huaud brothers, Geneva, ca. 1720

movement and enamel dial: Abraham Colomby, Geneva, ca. 1740

Enamelled gold, hands silver

diameter 3.15 cm, thickness 2 cm

Inv. 1983.1053.

Description

The case of this smallest known watch by the Huaud brothers bears a delicately painted representation of the Holy Family. The signature, "Les deux frères / Huaut Les / Jeunes", is inscribed in a yellow cartouche on the painted border beneath the Christchild. The mechanism, dating from some 20 years later, is signed in black on the white enamel dial, "Abraham / Colomby". Two hands indicate the hours in Roman numerals (I-XII) and the minutes are represented by division lines and by Arabic numerals for every five minutes. The different dates of case and movement suggest that a certain number of their cases remained and became available after the Huauds' deaths.

Selection of similar objects

 
Contact

Basel Historical Museum
Management & administration
Steinenberg 4
PO box
CH – 4001 Basel

Reception: +41 61 205 86 00
historisches.museum(at)bs.ch

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