The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 178

The WatermelonPiguet & Meylan, Geneva, No. 3654, circa 1820.Magnificent and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel, pearl-set, centre-seconds, two-train, musical automaton watch with concealed dial, playing on the hour and on request, designed as a watermelon, made for the Chinese market.

C. Two-body, 'fermée' type, the front half of the watermelon spring-loaded to reveal the dial, both halves entirely enamelled and divided into five domed sectors, each with translucent green enamel over a flinqué ground, alternately decorated with engraved gold foliage with a champlevé red rose in the centre, the hinged edges set with graduated half pearls. D. The fruit contains a musical automaton set within a stylised foliate engraved gold mask. The varicoloured gold automaton, which has a paited enamel background of a rose garden beside a lake and houses on the far bank, consists of two musicians, one plays a lyre and the other a harp. In the foreground is an attentive dog. Above the scene is the white enamel dial with Roman hour chapter ring and outer minute divisions. Blued-steel Breguet hands. M. 35 mm o, brass bridge calibre, fixed barrel, cylinder escapement, brass escape wheel, gold three-arm balance, blued-steel flat balance spring. The music and automaton wheel train driveny a fixed barrel, and a revolving pin disc with 17 tuned teeth arranged on both sides of the disc playing every hour or on request, Breguet-type continuous stop work, a ratchet wheel cam with irregular teeth mounted on the disc and driving the automata, set-off bolt at 7 o'clock, silent/music lever at 5 o'clock.Stamped with maker's mark and the number on the plate under the dial.Dim. 75 x 44 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 458-459.