223 - Travel watch. France, early 20th century.

Travel watch. France, early 20th century. Silver-plated metal and glass. Mechanical movement. Dial with Arabic numerals and a folding top clasp. It has a patina consistent with its age. Measurements: 5 × 5 × 5 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. The compact design and top lug identify this piece as a travel watch, a type that was widely popular from the late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century. The case, with its cubic shape and simple lines, is made of silver-plated metal, and the decoration is concentrated on the fluted bezel that frames the dial. The white dial, with Arabic numerals and dark hands, ensures clear and functional readability, while its small size reflects its portable nature. In contrast to the more ornate travel watches of the nineteenth-century tradition, this example adopts a simpler and more practical aesthetic, in keeping with the changing tastes of the early twentieth century.