Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 70

The Rose Piguet & Meylan, Geneva, made for the Chinese market, circa 1820. Magnificent and extremely rare, 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set, center-seconds, two-train, musical automaton watch, playing on the hour and on request, designed as a pink rose.

CHF -

EUR 0 - 0 / USD 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 256,500

C. Two-body, the back very finely painted showing the underside of the rose, with sumptuous pink petals and two green leaves, the pearl-set stem which forms the pendant terminated with five graduated pearl-set petals at the center of the rose. The bezel painted with rose petals, the edge decorated with a geometrical pattern in dark blue enamel and set with half pearls. D. White, eccentric Roman hour chapter ring with outer minute divisions set at the top, the background painted on enamel, depicting a garden with roses and forget-me-nots, a Temple of Love on a cliff and the sea beyond. The foreground with varicolored gold automata of a lady playing the harp, while Cupid accompanies her on a lyre, a nesting dove behind him. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 35.4 mm ø, gilt brass bridge caliber, fixed barrel, cylinder escapement, gold three-arm balance, blued steel flat balance spring. The music and automaton train driven by a fixed barrel, a revolving disc with 16 tuned teeth alternating 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 driving the automata, the set-off bolt at 7 o?clock, silent/music lever under the bezel at 5 o?clock. Stamped with the maker?s mark and the number on the plate under the dial. Diam. 48 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-541

Good
Movement: 3-6*

Good

Slightly oxidized

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

A very similar watch, previously in the Gustave Loup Collection, is published in "La Montre Chinoise", by Alfred Chapuis, pages 246 and 263, and ?Le Monde des Automates?, by A. Chapuis and E. Gelis, Volume II, page 43. An identical watch is published in the Sandberg book, pages 460-461. Piguet & Meylan Isaac 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 Meylan Born February 15, 1772, in Bas-du-Chenit, he died in 1845. At the age of 20 he came to Geneva where he was a Master Worker for the Godemar Frères. Afterwards he went back to Brassus where he founded a small factory in 1811. He then returned to Geneva where he settled for good. He entered into partnership with another watchmaker from his own village, Isaac Piguet, founding the Piguet & Meylan firm, which would last from 1811 to 1828. It specialized in minute cadratures, musical watches, and skeleton and automaton watches. Meylan is also credited with the invention of the bagnolet caliber. Isaac Daniel Piguet Born in Chenit in 1775, he died in Geneva in 1841. A very skillful watchmaker, he entered into partnership first with Henry Capt, from 1802 to 1811, then with Samuel Philippe Meylan, another watchmaker from the same village, until 1828. Piguet & Meylan marked their work with the initials PM within a lozenge. After 1828, Piguet continued his activity with his son, either under the name of Piguet & Fils, or that of I. D. Piguet & Cie. Their creations were largely made for the Chinese market. It is said that an important collector from Sydney bought a large quantity of watches and other musical and automaton objects of vertu, but the boat which carried the pieces was shipwrecked in the middle of the Indian Ocean.