Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 18, 1998

LOT 201

Piguet Meylan, Geneva, No. 4837, made for the Chinese Market, circa 1820. Fine 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set centre-seconds musical watch.

CHF 25,000 - 30,000

C. Four body, Empire with split-pearl set bezels, the band pendant and bow with champleve enamelled formal decoration, the back enamel panel with a very fine composition of Summer flowers against a pale green ground. I-Tinged gold cuvette with a black champleve enamelled decoration in a basket work pattern. D. White enamel with Roman numerals, outer minutes and seconds ring. Blued-steel "serpent" hands. M. Gilt-brass with free standing barrels, cylinder escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring with regulator. Pin-disc musical train with 21 steel vibrating blades. Piguet Meylan Master mark punched on the front plate beneath the dial. Diam. 52 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 18

Spotted
Movement: *4

Fair

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 22-51

Later original

Partially reprinted

Notes

Piguet & Meylan Philippe Samuel Meylan, born February 15, 1772, in Bas-du- Chenit, died in 1845. At 20 years old he came to Geneva where he worked for the Godemar Freres in quality of Master worker. Afterwards he went back to Brassus where he founded a little factory in 1811. Back to Geneva he definitively settled clown. There he met another watchmaker from his own village, Isaac Piguet, who became his partner, founding the Piguet & Meylan Firm, which will last from 1811 to 1828. It specialised in minute "cadratures", musical watches, skeleton or automaton watches, mechanical animals and personages. Daniel Isaac Piguet, born in Chenit in 1775, died in Geneva in 1841. Very skilful watchmaker, he associated himself a first time with Hen ry Capt, from 1802 to 1811, then with Samuel Philippe Meylan, another watchmaker from the same village, until 1828. Their works were signed or marked "P.M." within a lozenge. After 1828, he went on with his activities with his son, under the name of Piguet ID & Fits. Their creations were for a large part made for the Chinese Market. It is told that an important collector from Sidney 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.