Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2014

LOT 579

ISAAC DANIEL PIGUET "THE HEART" EXCEPTIONAL MUSICAL WATCH WITH SEE-SAW MUSICIAN & WINDMILL AUTOMATONS Isaac Daniel Piguet, Genève, No. 549. Made for the Eastern market, circa 1820. Extremely rare and important, musical, gold, painted on enamel, pearl and turquoise-set heart-shaped quarter-repeating watch with three automaton actions - see-saw, musician and windmill, activated at will.

CHF 100,000 - 200,000

HKD 857,000 - 1,700,000 / USD 105,000 - 209,000

Sold: CHF 303,750

Two-body, massive, heart-shaped, hinged at the top, entirely set with curving alternate rows of graduated half-pearls, split-pearl-set bezel, pendant decorated with blue champlevé enamel lines and pearl terminal, split- pearl-set bow, the interior with fine turquoise, blue and white champlevé enamel and gold foliate scroll border surrounding the automaton. WATCH Matte and polished gold with radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute indexes, engine-turned center. Blued steel Breguet hands. AUTOMATON Finely painted on enamel with a river landscape and trees, a chateau on the far shore, a windmill on a small hill with gold automaton sails, in the foreground two varicolored gold children play on an automated see-saw, to the right a lady with automated arm plays the guitar seated on a grassy bank with a dog lying at her feet, apertures for winding and hand-setting with gold paillon indications. 44.5 mm. gilt brass, standing barrel, cylinder escapement with inverted escape wheel, three-arm plain brass balance with flat balance spring, polished steel end-piece, index regulator protruding from the edge of the automaton scene, repeating on gongs activated by depressing the pendant, early sur plateau musical mechanism with fixed barrel and 17 blued steel tuned teeth acting on both sides of the pinned disc, activated by a button on the side of the case. Case punch numbered on the interior of each half 549, movement scratch signed "Isàc D.el Piguet, Genève" on the dial plate beneath the musical teeth, movement punched with the serial number 549, pinned disk also punched with the serial number and additional number 08.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

DIM. 72 x 67 mm. Excluding the pendant. ISAAC DANIEL PIGUET Born in 1775 in Le Chenit, Isaac Daniel Piguet married Jeanne Françoise Capt around 1795, and around 1800 settled in Geneva with his family. Piguet was associated with his brother-in-law Henry Daniel Capt, from 1802 to 1811, and with Philippe Samuel Meylan from 1811 to 1828. Piguet and his son David Auguste established the company "Piguet père & fils" at no. 69 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Piguet died in Geneva, on January 20, 1841, at the age of 66. The fabulous heart-shaped watches by both Isaac Daniel Piguet and Piguet & Meylan made in the first quarter of the 19th century are to be counted amongst the small group of Swiss automaton and musical objects that may be considered as the most extraordinary and fantastic ever produced and were considered suitable to be presented to Oriental Kings and Emperors by the European courts. Perhaps no more than four or five other examples are known to exist. One, formerly in the collection of Gustave Loup and subsequently in the collection of King Farouk of Egypt, sold in the Palace Collections of Egypt Sale by Sotheby's in 1954 as lot 471. The present watch bears close similarity to a watch previously in the collection of Bernard Franck of Paris and illustrated in: A. Chapuis and E. Gelis: "Le Monde des Automates", 1928, Vol. II, p. 45, fig.325, this was also part of King Farouk's collection sold in 1954 as lot 462. The painted on enamel landscape scene for the automaton is evidently a variation of the same scene. The automaton of the present watch is however rather more interesting having two children on a see-saw, a musician and the windmill sails turning. Another example, now in the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva and re-united with its pair was sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, November 13, 1999, lot 87.