Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 90

Views of Switzerland. Charles Abraham Bruguier, Geneva, enamel attributed to Louis Dufaux père, 1840s, made for the Italian market. Exceptional gold, marble, mother-of-pearl and painted on enamel, ruby- and emerald-set musical singing bird box in the form of a paperweight. Accompanied by later leather fitted box

CHF 80,000 - 100,000

EUR 52,000 - 65,000

Sold: CHF 104,700

C. In shape of a large paperweight, the base panels very finely painted on enamel with landscapes of Lake Leman; Lake Constance, Lausanne, and the Jura, the rounded corners painted with flower bouquets, bordered by black champlevé enamel painted with azure and white accents, the tip and the handle with floral and foliate repoussé gold painted in various colors of enamel, the bird's nest painted with flowers on a translucent red background over flinqué, ruby- and emerald-paste-set lower border, top border in champlevé enamel, the lid painted with flower bouquets on a white enamel ground with ruby and emerald paste frame. M. 60 x 48 mm, brass, fusee and chain, the bird rotating right and left and moving its beak, tail, and wings, the melody, and circular bellows controlled by a stack of eight spring-loaded cams moving vertically along their arbor for a long duration of song, the shifting facilitated by an L-shaped lever pushing the cams down via a cam set on the extension of the 2nd whel, fly regulator on a worm-gear with fixed weights on each wing, the movements of the bird are controlled by an unusual and complex mechanism consisting of two fusee-like chains going through the handle.Punched on the movement with three tulips.Dim: Height 115 mm, base 125 x 102 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 51
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: -

Notes

Charles-Abraham Bruguier senior (1788-1862). Born on January 5, 1788, in Geneva, he was the son of a clockmaker and became a clockmaker himself. In 1815, Charles-Abraham Bruguier took his family to London, where they lived for several years. Two other children were born in London: Charles-Abraham in 1818, and Louise in 1821. The Bruguier family returned to Switzerland around 1823. Judith, their fourth child, was born in Geneva in 1825. It is apparently only after the return to Geneva, where they first settled in the rue de Coutance 87, that is, after 1823, that Charles-Abraham first began making singing birds.Between 1833 and 1837, Bruguier traveled again, this time to the town of Sainte-Suzanne near Montbéliard in France, to work in the Paur music-box factory (which afterwards became the L'Epée factory). This explains the existence of music boxes with the Bruguier signature. It would seem that Charles-Abraham junior, perhaps then already serving his apprenticeship, did not accompany them, for he is not mentioned in the passport application, which says only "destination Montbéliard, with his wife and three daughters".In 1837, the Bruguier family returned once again to Geneva, living first in the rue du Cendrier 121 bis and moving the following year to rue Coutance 75. After 1843, Bruguier senior, having acquired property in Grand-Pré north of Geneva, transferred his workshop there. Charles Abraham Bruguier senior died in June 1862, at 74 years of age. The elder Bruguier is known for his bird boxes, but he made other kinds of pieces as well, even quite unusual ones such as these cited by his grandson Jacques-Alexandre: "a clock surmounted by a vase, in the center of which a rose opens up on the hour. Out of this rose comes a hummingbird which sings and flies back to where it came from, whereupon the rose closes again." Or, "a flute player leaning against a tree. He plays, every movement of his fingers corresponding to a note. A small bird appears and sings, and the man puts down his flute and turns his head to listen. A cat suddenly appears and pounces on the bird just as it finishes its song, buthe bird disappears and the man begins playing again."