1

A Day
Observed

A story presented by

Scene 1:
‘Morning’

It was a bright cold day with glassy surfaces that looked hard.
Into the square frame he stood as if in a dream.

What emerged was precisely what he expected to find: a reflection of memory images. Contemplating his face in the photo frame he waited.

1960s lucite and chrome 3 image photo frame

By the steady hands of his watch, he listened to time. Every day for the past sixteen days he saw her. Silver lingered in the crease of
an open book.

Rolex burlwood dial, Jubilee bracelet Miniature
oar English university trophy, sterling silver.

So absorbed in his thoughts
he hardly saw the platinum catch-all, the key, or the revelation locked inside those lapis lazuli cufflinks tossed unmistakably in cold blue.

Hans Hanson catch-all. Mid-century, Danish sterling silver. Stirrup money clip, by Hermès. Padlock keyring, sterling silver " Tie bar-slide " Round lapis lazuli cufflinks" Square cufflinks, two tone rose and yellow gold, diamond."

Only by whirling on his heel could he hope to comprehend
the panorama.

Shoe horn, circa 1930. American sterling silver
Scene 2:
‘Noon’

He remained.Trapped in that enormous room,
unmistakably familiar in feeling yet so peculiar.

Above the mantle was
displayed an Austrian hound
of impeccable integrity.

Hagenauer sculpture, 1930

His gaze fell on the letter opener. By accident she had learnt more about his life from the contents of that letter than anywhere.

Dunhill letter opener with lighter top, circa 1950

Cleopatra’s eye reflected
the sun. Through the hypnotism
of precious metals there
emerged a dark slender shadow.

Cleopatra’s eye magnifying glass. Mid-century, gold plated
Hermès weighted pen. Silver plated.

A lighter presented itself, smooth to the touch
it gave the impression of
intelligent company.

Table lighter St Dupont, circa 1960. Gold plate
Scene 3:
‘Evening’

All this time light was receding from the room.

“I should explain why I spend so much time here”, said the silhouette. Leaves moved like shadows across her eyes.

Hermès rope bottle opener. Plated silver.

It’s not too late to turn back. Time moved with faint sounds.

Venini hourglass. Hand-blown lurid Murano glass.

He unscrewed the telescopic cup, rolled and remained still. Black eyes on the dice prophesied a new cycle.

Telescopic cup, J. E. Cauldwell. Gold plated. Dice,
Cartier for America. Vitreous enamel glass, silver

Staring down at the varnished surface her mouth worried him while her eyes examined the gold cufflink.

Audemar Piguet evening watch. gold plated, Roman dial, alligator strap
Scene 4:
‘Night’

Everything went crashing black.

Pale graceful hands placed
the gold stud box delicately
on the table.

Men’s Edwardian jewellery box, 1910. Gold plated.
Mid-century British cigar ashtray. Sterling silver and crystal.

He lit a match to make sure the watch had really stopped. Smoke lingered from its vesta case.

Realist wrapped tobacco leaf march vesta. Silver.

As the travel clock neared
one the figure vanished into dappled shadows.

Art Deco Jaeger LeCoultre travel clock.
Gold and silver plated. Retailed by Aspray.

On the newly varnished table two bronze shot cups sat alive like in a dream.

Tooth shot cup by Foundwell. Bronze and silver plated.
Set of 4, 3 silver 1 gold. Heath & Midleton champagne decanters circa 1900.
Sterling silver and glass.
The End

‘A DAY OBSERVED’
A story by FOUNDWELL
Photography Matthieu Lavanchy, creative direction OK-RM,
notes by Kate O’Brien and objects selected by Alan Bedwell

‘A DAY OBSERVED’
A story by FOUNDWELL
Photography Matthieu Lavanchy,
creative direction OK-RM
notes by Kate O’Brien
and objects selected by Alan Bedwell

Early and Rare Sterling Silver Gorham Martini Mixing Bucket

Golf Cocktail Shaker
and Matching Golf Bag Cup

Sterling Silver Woven Bottle Coaster

Foundwell

A SELECTION OF ITEMS BY THE PRODUCER OF
CRAFTED GOODS & PURVEYOR OF ANTIQUE WATCHES,
JEWELLERY & OTHER SUCH OBJECTS

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A solid eighteen carat yellow gold Patek Philippe Nautilus with factory diamond set bezel and factory diamond dial. As iconic watches go in the collecting world, there are fewer that get the pulses racing than the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Initially released in 1976, this was the brand's response to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, an avant-garde luxury stainless steel sports watch born out of AP's need to survive the Quartz Crisis. Designed by Gèrald Genta, the same man behind the Royal Oak, the Nautilus drew inspiration from a porthole, featuring a rounded-over octagonal bezel and hinge-like protrusions on the case. With its signature horizontally embossed dial and iconic integrated bracelet, the Nautilus has become one of the most sought-after watches today, thanks to its timeless design, exclusivity, and impeccable craftsmanship. 

Interestingly, the Nautilus did not receive a warm reception upon its initial release, largely due to its sizable 42mm case. Recognizing this, Patek Philippe debuted a 28mm quartz-powered ladies' variant, the ref. 4700, in 1980. This allowed female customers to experience the Nautilus' unique design and gradually warm to its aesthetic. The success of the ref. 4700 prompted Patek to launch the mid-sized Nautilus ref. 3800 for men in 1981, marking the beginning of the model's meteoric rise to become the brand's most coveted and collectible watch, much like the Royal Oak before it. The ref. 4700A now merges the Nautilus' unique history and heritage into a single, tremendous timepiece.

Overall, the watch is in superb condition. It appears to be unpolished, and with only light wear, all hallmarks are present, correct and sharp on the case back. The all important and exceptionally rare diamond bezel is in excellent condition. The bracelet is tight and sharp. It is also long, fitting over a 7 inch wrist. The less common black dial with diamond hour markers is exceptional with the characteristic horizontal striping throughout; condition is perfect. If you are looking for the smallest size of the giant among giants, look no further.


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Item Dimensions
Case Width
1.10236 inches (2.7999944cm)
Case Height
0.984252 inches (2.50000008cm)