The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 271

The Tightrope DancerDu Bois et Fils, Le Locle, circa 1810.Exceptional 18 ct. gold quarter repeating two-train musical automaton watch.

C. Four-body, 'bassine et filets', the back, band and bezel with 'grains d'orge' engine-turning, gilt hinged cuvette.D. The automaton scene features a tightrope dancer made of multi-coloured gold, dancing on a twisted gold rope, he bounces on his right leg while kicking the left, and adjusts the position of his balance pole, the rope flexing realistically with his every move. Two musicians accompany his dancing, a man playing the lyre and a young woman playing the guitar, with animated hands and arms, all against a finely-painted Alpine landscape with a lake, trees, and rocks, and with a village and mountainsn the background. Between the players there is a small eccentric engine-turned gold dial with white enamel cartouches, Breguet numerals and outer enamel minute ring. Blued-steel Breguet hands. M. 55 mm o, engraved, gilt brass bridge calibre, two-train, 4 jewels, going barrel for the going train, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm brass balance, flat balance spring, the music and automata driven by a going barrel, the pinned cylinder playing on a sectional comb of 33 tuned teeth, the automata aimated by four cams, repeating on two gongs by depressing the pendant, bolt at 11 o'clock to block the repeating, another at 3 o'clock to activate the music and the automata.Signed on the cuvette.Diam. 62 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 194-195.