Frères Rochat, Genève, circa 1820. Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel, diamond-set, singing bird box with centre seconds musical watch. | Important Watches, Wristwatches and Clocks | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 15th October 1994

Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 15, 1994

LOT 563

Frères Rochat, Genève, circa 1820. Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel, diamond-set, singing bird box with centre seconds musical watch.

CHF 100,000 - 120,000

C. Two part rounded corners, entirely engine-turned, the borders and corners with black champleve enamelled and chased foliage decoration, the hinged front panel with glazed dial aperture and diamond-set bezel, hinged left side panel for the key compartment. The lid with two coloured gold chased foliage decoration, the singing bird cover enamelled with a finely painted bunch of flowers. D. Small white enamel with Roman numerals. Blued steel hands. Gold dial-plate. M. Gilt brass with going barrel, cylinder escapement with plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring and gilt brass continental cock. Pin drum musical movement with two stacks of 10 steel vibrating steel blades. S.B. Rectangular plates with turned pillars, fusee with chain, cylindrical bellow, the bird with moving wings, tait, beak and turning head, controlled by a stack of 8 cams, gold engraved grill. Signed with the Rochat " F.R." punch mark on the back plate. In very good condition with some restorations. Dim. 95 x 59 x 15 mm.

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Frères Rochat of Geneva (Amy Napoléon et Louis), watchmakers 140 rue de Coutance between 1810 and 1835, apprentice with their father. Worked for Meilan in Brassus, then for Jaquet-Droz and Leschot. They set up on their own circa 1810. They produced most of the best complicated automata of the period and apparently all the known singing bird pistols.