Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Hong Kong, Apr 28, 2019

LOT 576

UNSIGNED, ATTRIBUTABLE TO LES FRÈRES ESQUIVILLON & DECHOUDENS, GENEVA POCKET WATCH WITH QUARTER-REPEATER AND TWO STRIKING JACKS AND AN AUTOMATON SCENE, TOTALIZING FIVE AUTOMATON ACTIONS; 18K YELLOW GOLD AND MULTICOLOURED GOLD

HKD 115,000 - 150,000

CHF 14,850 - 19,700 / USD 15,000 - 20,000

18K yellow gold, open-face, key-winding, round-shaped, pocket watch, with one horological complication and automaton scene: â?¢ Quarter-repeater on two steel gongs (activated by depressing the pendant), leading the two striking Jacks and the animated scene with three functions The chiselled varicoloured gold scene shows two cherubs Jacquemarts (Jacks) striking the elapsed time, and, below, an automaton scene with two black-smiths working at their forge; all animated by the repeating mechanism.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-8

Good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Brand Unsigned

Year circa 1810-1820

Calibre  21''' gilded brass, with fusee and chain, verge escapement, monometallic balance (gilded brass) and blued steel flat hairspring, pierced and engraved gilded continental cock

Case No. 5 173 / 25 986

Material 18K yellow gold and multicoloured gold

Caliber 21''' gilded brass, with fusee and chain, vergeescapement, monometallic balance (gilded brass)and blued steel flat hairspring, pierced and engravedgilded continental cock

Dimensions Ø 55 mm.

Notes

“Le Rémouleur” or “The Knife Grinder” and “The Forge” By the fact of few of them are signed, we can attribute to the Genevan workshop of Les Frères Esquivillon & DeChoudens (or Deschoudens) a series of watches with quarterrepeater and six functions, including two striking jacks and a four automata scene; watches so-called “Le Rémouleur” or “The Knife Grinder”; see: Antiquorum, Hong Kong, October 27, 2018, lot 402 (with a list of known watches). The present watch, “The Forge”, is a variant of the previous model with only five automaton actions. Only one other watch of this last type is today recorded (Genevan case No. 25 197), see: Antiquroum, Hong Kong, auction, June 8, 2008, lot 402, sold for the amount of HK$ 492 000.- Les Frères Esquivillon & DeChoudens, Geneva Master watchmakers actives in the last quarter of the 18th century and in the early 19th century. In 1774, Gédéon-François Esquivillon became associated with his brother, Joseph Esquivillon, and Jaques DeChoudens (or Deschoudens). They are known to have signed sometimes « Es. et Dech.”.