Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 140

?The Sea-Saw? Swiss, No. 32. Made in Geneva, circa 1815. Very fine and extremely rare, 18K gold and painted on enamel, musical pocket watch with automata and concealed erotic automata.

CHF 40,000 - 50,000

EUR 25,000 - 32,000 / USD 32,000 - 40,000

Sold: CHF 55,200

C. Three-body, ?Empire?, polished concave bezel, reeded band, the back cover engraved and enamelled with a scene of a sailor and a lady leaving a house, a ship on the sea behind. Beneath the back cover a later painted on enamel erotic scene of a couple in an interior, a carriage visible through the window behind. D. Gold, eccentric with polished Arabic numerals on a matted ground, outer dot minute markers, engine-turned centre. Blued steel gold-tipped ?spade? hands. Finely painted on enamel scene of an Arcadian landscape, mounted with multicoloured gold automaton figures of Cupid and a lyre player on a sea-saw formed from Cupid?s bow, another Cupid strikes a pair of kettle drums below whilst a dog dances to the tune. M. 23 mm., gilt brass full-plate, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, cylinder escapement, pierced and chased foliate continental type balance cock, silvered regulation dial. Pinned barrel musical movement driving the automata by a series of levers and cams, activated at will by a lever in the band. Punch numbered on the front-plate. Diam. 58 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 4-22

Fair

Later original
Movement: 3-14*

Good

Damaged

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-24-01

Good

Slightly chipped

HANDS Original

Notes

The idea of making the watch movement as an independent entity and setting it into the front plate of an automaton movement is simple, yet ingenious. By using this arrangement, more space is made available for the automaton mechanisms, allowing the possibility of more complexity. The watch movement can of course be located anywhere in the front-plate to fit in with the design of the automata. Another advantage is that the watch movement can be accessed and repaired without disturbing the complex automata work. In this case, the automata are located both on the front and back.