Important Collectors Watches, Pocket ...

Hong Kong, Jun 08, 2008

LOT 402

The Forge ? Watch with Five Automaton Actions Attributed to Esquivillon et Deschoudens à Genève, No. 25197. Made circa 1820. Very fine and extremely rare, quarter-repeating, 18K rose gold pocket watch with multicolored gold striking Jacks and an automaton scene of a forge with a total of five automaton actions.

HKD 300,000 - 370,000

USD 40,000 - 50,000 / EUR 25,000 - 30,000

Sold: HKD 492,000

C. Three-body, ?Empire?, engine-turned, polished borders, bolt at 10 for locking the repeat. Gilt metal spring-loaded cuvette. D. Annular white enamel with black Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions, center with applied gold seated cherubs on a gold bridge with flower vase between, striking bells during repeating, the lower section with the automaton scene depicting a blacksmith?s forge, the blacksmith hammering the anvil, his assistant working the bellows for the fire with moving flame, brushed blued steel background. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 42 mm (19???), frosted gilt, full plate with cylindrical pillars, fusée and chain, verge escapement, plain brass balance with flat balance spring, pierced continental cock with polished steel endplate, repeating on gongs activated by depressing the pendant, the automaton driven via repeating train. Diam. 55 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-15

Good

Slightly rusted
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-22-50-05

Good

Later original

Refreshed

HANDS Luminous material reapplied

Notes

IIt is very rare to find an automaton watch with as many as five separate actions. A very few are known with four, six and eight actions, placing the present watch amongst those with the highest number of automaton actions. The moving flame for the fire is particularly charming.
A similar watch, signed Esquivillon et Dechoudens, from the F. Conty Collection, Geneva, is described and illustrated in: A. Chapuis and E. Gelis , ?Le Monde des Automates?, volume 2, page 35, fig. 297.
Esquivillon & Dechoudens
Master watchmakers of the 18th century. Gédéon- François Esquivillon was associated with his brother Joseph and Jaques Dechoudens in 1774. They are known to have signed ?Es. et Dech.? Dictionnaire des horlogers genevois, by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, 1998.