The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 177

The Apple KnifeUnsigned, Geneva, circa 1820.Exceptional 18 ct. gold and enamel, pearl-set, folding fruit knife, with music, concealed watch and magnifying glass.

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Sold: CHF 267,500

C. Each side of the handle similarly decorated with two enamelled medallions, the upper ones on each side are painted with an allegory of music, with pearls below and above, the lower with flowers and pearl-set motifs; the front panel slides to reveal the watch by pressing a pearl in the centre. A small pushpiece on the side releases the spring-loaded magnifying glass; the blade with champlevé foliate decoration in blue enamel, including the spine. D. White enamel, Breguet numerals, gold engravecentre, set in a square panel of dark blue enamel with gold foliage. Blued-steel 'spearhead' hands. M. Wedge-shaped, 14.4 mm at top, 7 mm at bottom, the narrower part occupied by the brass watch movement, with fixed barrel, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm brass balance, flat balance spring; the wider part occupied by the brass musical movement, with pin barrel, six tuned teeth, five-wheel train the last pinion as a governor regulated by the eccentric bushing.Dim. 94 x 25 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 460-461.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

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

Notes

Only a few knives in gold and enamel with additional complications are known. The simplest type contains only a musical train. The present lot is particularly rare because it also features a watch. The gold blade was specifically used for cutting apple, since silver or steel would discolour the fruit.Piguet Lot MeylanIsaac Daniel Piguet and Philippe Samuel Meylan were in partnership from 1811 to 1828 and just before 1828 their premises were 45, rue Rousseau in Geneva.Philippe Samuel MeylanBorn February 15, 1772, in Bas-du-Chenit, died in 1845. At 20 years old he came to Geneva where he worked for the Godemar Frères in quality of Master worker. Afterwards he went back to Brassus where he founded a little factory in 1811. He then returned to Geneva where he definitively settled. He met another watchmaker from his own village, Isaac Piguet, with whom he entered into partnership, founding the Piguet Lot Meylan firm, which would last from 1811 to 1828. It specialised in minute cadratues, musical watches, skeleton or automaton watches, mechanical animals and figures, he is also credited with the invention of the bagnolet calibre.Isaac Daniel PiguetBorn in Chenit in 1775, died in Geneva in 1841. Very skilful watchmaker, he entered into partnership firstly with Henry Capt, from 1802 to 1811, then with Samuel Philippe Meylan, another watchmaker from the same village, until 1828. Their works were signed or marked PM within a lozenge. After 1828, he went on with his activities with his son, either under the name of Piguet Lot Fils, or under that of I. D. Piguet Lot Cie. Their creations were for a large part made for the Chinese Market. It is tld that an important collector from Sidney bought a large quantity of watches and other musical and automaton objects of virtu, but the boat which carried the pieces was shipwrecked in the middle of the Indian Ocean.