165,200 CHF
Piguet Meylan, Geneva, made for the Chinese Market, circa 1820. Extremely fine and rare 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set musical watch with centre seconds and automaton scene, in a gilt brass glazed protecting case with matching enamelled gold chain and key decorated en suite. Double body, the pale turquoise enamelled bezels inlaid with split pearls, the enamel back panel finely painted scene of the Holy Virgin and child, La Madonna della Sedia, after Raphael. Small eccentric white enamel with Roman numerals and outer minute and seconds ring. Blued steel "spade" hands. The polychrome enamel dial-plate painted with a lake side landscape applied on the foreground with a multicoloured gold automaton figure of a woman playing a harp and a boy a mandolin, their arms articulated in unisson with the musical mechanism. Gilt brass double train with a free standing barrel, inverted cylinder escapement with a brass escape wheel, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring. Pin disc musical train with 16 vibrating steel teeth on either side of the disc. Piquet & Meylan master mark punched on the front plate, beneath the dial. In almost new condition. Diam. 44 mm. Notes Philippe Samuel Meylan, born February 15th, 1772 in Bas-du-Chenit, died in 1845. At 20 years old he came to Geneva where he worked for Godemar Freres in quality of Master worker. Afterward, he went back to Brassus where he founded a little factory in 1811. He returned to Geneva where he settled down definitive Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1996-10-12
