This timepiece is curated from Carlo Biagiolis private collection.
Here's his take:
"The so-called Domino watch made by Asprey, built on a domino tile made of ivory, and the front is ebony. A unique piece, custom made by maybe the most important and influential jeweller on Bond Street in London. One can only imagine how extraordinary it must have been to request such a custom piece back in the 1940s – not only because of the domino base and its materials, but also because of the size of 43 mm. I bought this piece several years ago in an auction, a truly unique piece which made me hunt for similar watches in the years after."
Here's ours:
This is an exceptionally rare and highly unusual watch by one of the world’s most renowned jewelers, Asprey. Founded in the 18th century in England, Asprey was awarded its first Royal Warrant in 1862 for Queen Victoria. Asprey was also an esteemed Rolex stocking that provided many of the watches to the Sultan of Oman ! This watch is a 43x21mm watch in steel / chrome that has a ebony front case. The small watch face features a black dial with the Asprey name in silver. The most interesting element is on the reverse of the watch. Turn it over and you are greeted by an actua livory domino stone – ‘Double Five’! This stone is in lieu of a caseback and is affixed with two small screws which gives access to the manual wind movement that has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. This is a very rare and possibly unique watch from one of the most esteemed retailers in history!
Specifications:
- Asprey Domino Watch
- Dating to the 1940s.
- 43x21mm case
- Ivory domino stone caseback and Ebony front
- Black dial with silver painted numerals and baton hands
- steel beads of rice style bracelet
- Fully serviced by our watchmaker
- One-year mechanical warranty
- Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
- Free worldwide Fedex Priority shipping
Read the interview about Carlo and his life as a collector
