Importantes Montres de Collection

Geneva, Nov 13, 2011

LOT 153

CHARLES REUGE, THE VIOLINIST MUSICAL AUTOMATON WATCH WITH NIELLO PORTRAIT OF ISMA?IL PASHA Charles Reuge, à Sainte Croix, No. 1293. Made for the Eastern Market, circa 1880. Very fine and extremely rare, large, two-train, musical, silver, gold and niello keyless pocket watch with center-seconds and automaton violinist, playing two tunes on a pinned cylinder at will, the case decorated with a portrait of Isma?il Pasha (1830-1895).

CHF 22,000 - 25,000

USD 24,000 - 27,000 / EUR 18,000 - 20,000

C. Four body, "bassine et fi lets", polished, gold hinges, the back cover decorated with a niello portrait of Isma?il Pasha within a laurel wreath border. Hinged silver-rimmed glazed cuvette. D. White enamel, two-piece with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and outermost fi fths of a second divisions, Arabic fi ve-second numerals, the center painted with a seated violinist in an interior, one arm automated holding the violin bow and activated when the music plays. Gold spade hands. M. 48 mm., frosted and gilt double train with differential winding, 19 jewels, counterpoised lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, musical train with pinned cylinder and 35 steel toothed comb playing two tunes at will, gold music activation and tune selection buttons in the band. Movement engraved with the Reuge trademark of a lion rampant. Diam. 57 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Charles Reuge Registered its name and the lion trademark in 1883, for the making of musical and watch movements. Only 50 of these watches were made, based on a patent registered on April 25, 1883. They were intended mostly for the Chinese and Indian markets. Reuge revived the idea of musical watches from the early 19th century but instead of using the sur plateau type mechanism favored by Piguet & Meylan, he used a pinned cylinder. The cylinder type is more robust and gives a more resonant sound, but requires a thicker case to house it. It also allows for more than one tune to be played from the same cylinder.
Isma?il Pasha (1830-1895) Known as Ismail the Magnifi cent, was Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 until he was removed by the British in 1879. Isma?il Pasha left Egypt and initially went into exile in Naples, he was eventually permitted by Sultan Abdulhamid II to retire to his Palace of Emirgan in Constantinople on the Bosphorus.
Literature: This watch, No. 1293, is illustrated in ?La Montre Chinoise?, Alfred Chapuis, p. 221.
Another almost identical watch is illustrated in: ?Histoire de la Boite à Musique et de la Musique Mécanique?, Alfred Chapuis, 1955, p. 256.