65,550 CHF
The PeacockLouis Elisée Piguet, enamel by Louis Rosselet, circa 1890. Very fine and rare 18 ct. gold and enamel key-wound, double-train, grande sonnerie minute repeating clock watch with centre seconds, made for the Chinese market. Notes The ebauche incorporates both keyless and key winding systems. The Chinese preferred key winding, which they considered more reliable, therefore the keyless winding system in this watch was abandoned in favour of key winding.Louis Elisée Piguet (1836 - ca 1915)from Le Brassus, made a number of exceptional timepieces, such as a grande sonnerie with seven hammers, and some of the most complicated watches sold in Glashütte employed L. E. Piguet movements. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Lot Constantin, Breguet, to mention a few, employed his movements on special occasions. He improved chronographs, invented the fixed star repeating mechanism, and improved the keyless winding system. He was one of the most talented and prolific watchmakers from the end of the 19h century, very respected by his peers, and chosen to serve on a number of horological committees.A watch with a similar painted enamel scene is published in La Montre Chinoise by Alfred Chapuis, plate after p. 212.See also: Horlogers et montres exceptionnels de la Vallée de Joux, Daniel Aubert, Neuchâtel, 1997.Rosselet LouisFor a biography, see lot 93.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2001-03-31
