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 Piaget Tank. The Tank has been made famous as a watch case design by Cartier. But, that has not stopped many other watchmakers from designing their own version of this icon. In this instance we have another Swiss luxury powerhouse, Piaget. Known as the jeweller watchmaker, this stunning example exemplifies why they have this mantle. The elegant and fine rectangle shaped case is studded with a subtle hobnail cut finish to each of the case sides, providing just a touch of detail. 

The dial itself is a beautiful white glossy enamel finish with a chemin de fer chapter ring  The logo is stamped and printing is all in a very fine black, with the Roman numerals being quite fine and delicate, unlike other Roman numeral dials. At the base of the minute track is printed the name Van Cleef & Arpels. This is a watch that was made to be retailed in this prestigoius, luxury jewllery boutique.

Van Cleef & Arpels has earned a distinguished reputation for its exquisitely designed and imaginative jewelry, featuring everything from delicate flowers to whimsical animals and graceful ballerinas. The brand originated from the romantic partnership of Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a precious stone dealer, and Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a stone cutter. Their marriage in 1895 ignited a shared passion for gemstones and a pioneering vision that led to the establishment of the Van Cleef jewelry brand. In 1906, the Maison was officially founded by Alfred and Estelle along with her brother Charles, who was later joined by Estelle’s other siblings. They opened a boutique in Place Vendôme, Paris, situated directly opposite the Ritz Hotel. This prime location attracted numerous European aristocrats who were captivated by the creations of Van Cleef & Arpels, facilitating the global dissemination of the Maison’s timeless jewelry. The brand has consistently utilized a diverse selection of precious stones in its pieces, including diamonds, sapphires, and carnelian.

The watch is powered by a manually wound caliber; the 9P. The Piaget Caliber 9P, launched in 1957, is a historically significant ultra-thin, hand-wound mechanical movement that established Piaget's reputation for creating flat watches. Developed by Valentin Piaget, it measures just 2mm thick that truly allowed Piaget to present itself as the "specialist of the slimmest watches in the world." The reduced thickness was a very practical feat, since it allowed the production of slimmer watches. 

The watch is in fabulous condition with an unpolished sharp case and is also presented on its original Piaget signed alligator band, along with the iconic “P” logo solid 18k yellow gold buckle that also, and very nuusually, features a VCA stamp on the verso confirming this is also the original buckle to the watch. If you are looking for a more exotic and far more rare version of Cartier’s famed case shape, it is hard to beat this stunning very original example.


Price $10,750.00

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Item Dimensions
Case Width
0.905512 inches (2.30000048cm)
Case Length
1.122047 inches (2.84999938cm)