Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, May 13, 2012

LOT 377

MINUTE REPEATING AUTOMATON WATCH ?FATHER TIME? Volta, (Maurice Ditisheim, La Chaux-de-Fonds), Swiss, No. 25393. Made circa 1900. Fine and rare, 18K pink gold hunting-cased, keyless minuterepeating watch with automaton jacks.

C. Four-body, massive, ?bassine?, polished. Hinged gold cuvette decorated with medals awarded in different exhibitions, glazed gold-rimmed cover to view the movement. D. Small translucent royal blue guilloche enamel dial with gold paillon Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions and subsidiary seconds. Gold ?Louis XV? hands. Blued steel dial plate applied with gold automaton Jacks: Father of Time on the left side, cherubs on the right, striking hours, quarters and minutes on bells, a cornucopia below the dial. M. 18???, gilt brass, 15 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a push piece in the band, centrifugal governor. Case and cuvette signed Volta. Diam. 54.5 mm.