Antiquorum in Love, Impotant Horology...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 16, 1997

LOT 103

Unsigned, Swiss, circa 1810. "La Forge de Cupidon". Very fine 18K gold and enamel automaton watch.

C. Double body, Directoire, polished, with fixed bezel and spring loaded back. Hinged gilt brass cuvette. D. Small eccentric white enamel with Breguet numerals. Gold "spade" hands. The enamel dial plate with champleve garlands of flowers on each side of the dial over a black ground is also painted with a Swiss landscape below the dial and applied with a very fine varicoloured gold automaton scene, depicting three cherubs busily working in a forge: one is forging weapons for Venus while another sharps the arrows and the third keeps the fire going in the forge. M. Gilt brass double train, Lepine calibre with free standing barrel, the bridges engraved with foliage decoration, cylinder escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring with regulator. The automaton train built from a typical Lepine repeating train with cams in place of repeating work and wound with a key. Diam. 51 mm.