Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Jun 06, 2004

LOT 465

The Music Lesson Isaac Daniel Piguet, No. 98, circa 1800. Very fine, rare and important 18K gold and enamel center-seconds musical automaton watch with two tunes and quarter-repeating.

HKD 230,000 - 300,000

EUR 25,000 - 32,000 / USD 30,000 - 38,000

Sold: HKD 515,000

C. Three-body, ?Empire?, polished back, reeded band, gilt brass cuvette hinged to the movement ring, pin at 6 o?clock for activating music and automaton, at 4 for changing the tune and activating the new one. D. Small, white enamel, Breguet numerals and outer minute divisions with gold ?arrowhead? hands. The gold automaton plate very well chased with a drawing room, painted on enamel automata of a gentleman with a girl on his lap playing the guitar, a boy sitting on a stool drawing and nodding his head in time to the music, a window to the right with revolving painted on enamel disk with four figures, each appearing once during the tune. M. Of unusual construction; the going train movement with its repeating mechanism, a complete separate unit, is inserted within the musical movement. The watch movement: 24.5 mm (11???), frosted gilt full-plate with cylindrical pillars, fixed barrel, cylinder escapement with jeweled steel escape wheel, brass 3-arm jeweled balance with flat balance-sprng, continental cock pierced and engraved with the letters ?PIGUET?, diamond endstone, repeating on gongs by depressing the pendant. Musical and automaton movement: 50 mm (22???), frosted gilt full plate, cylindrical pillars, reversed fusee and chain, pinned barrel, with two stacks of three tuned vibrating blades, automata driven from three cams set on the extension of the second musical train wheel via three levers.Pierced with the name on the cock and signed in typical Piguet manner on the movement dust ring.Diam. 58 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 3 - 6 - 01

Notes

Musical and Automata Objects of Vertu The Private Collection of Dr. Frank and Mrs. Lore Metzger (lots 465 to 489) In 1967, before returning home from yet another long business trip away from his young family, Frank Metzger was looking around Buenos Aires for a suitable present to bring to his wife and two small children. In an antique shop on the Calle Florida he found a music box and determined then and there that it would be his ?coming home? present. That present was well received by Lore, Frank?s wife and soon the two were embarked on a new hobby, collecting mechanical music. Through a fortunate happenstance, they met Ruth Bornand, the doyen of American music box dealers, who happened to ask Frank if he had any interest in miniature mechanical music. Knowing little about it but afraid to say no he said ?yes? whereupon Mrs. Bornand pulled out about 50 defective antique miniature musical movements and said ?If you can make 2 or 3 of these run you can keep the rest for yourself?. Frank, who had been trained as a machinist before he took up his profession as an industrial psychologist, fixed 7 of the defective movements for Mrs. Bornand and from the remainder had the spare parts necessary to repair the many miniature musical movements that came his way for restoration over a period of more than 30 years. Mrs. Bornand was also instrumental in introducing the Metzgers to the Musical Box Society International, the largest group in the world devoted to the dissemination of knowledge about mechanical music. Here, Frank, a frequent lecturer and contributor of articles about miniature mechanical music, eventually became president of the organization, a post he held from 1995 to 1997. He continues to serve the MBSI as a trustee advisor and will give a major lecture in August, at the MBSI?s annual meeting, on the subject of mechanical pipe organs. Early on, the Metzgers had decided that their collecting would go in two directions: They would seek out fine examples of mechanical music in conventional sizes (an endeavor that continues to hold their interest) and they would specialize in the restoration and the collection of objects of vertu containing music and automata such as snuff boxes with music, bird boxes, vinaigrettes with music and similar items. Over the years, the Metzgers bought and sold more than 650 of such pieces, and little by little added the best that came their way to their private collection. In this sale there are 25 of these small, precious pieces from this collection. Included are gold and enamel bird boxes (one with music) featured in Sharon and Christian Bailly?s book, ?Flights of Fancy?, an extremely rare musical and automata ring, a fine gold, enamel, pearl and diamond musical harp with a secret opening method and other, similarly rare, objects of vertu. All of them are pristine, fully operational and of museum quality. The Metzgers wish is that these beautiful pieces that they have had the privilege and pleasure of owning for a little while, will find new homes where their beauty and craftsmanship can be admired and their pristine condition maintained for the next generation of enthusiastic collectors.