28,750 CHF
Reuge Music, Sainte Croix, Swiss, No. A0. Prototype for a series of 24 watches. Very fine 18 ct. gold unique keyless watch with built-in two tune music box, in original box wood fitted box with gold ratchet key designed as a lyre. Three body, massive, "bassine", polished. Gold engin-turned with Roman numerals on a white enamel chapter ring. Blued steel Breguet hands. Notes Watches in the 'Isis' series of musical watches made by Reuge Music, play two melodies from Mozart's Magic Flute. This prototype however is fitted with different tunes, one of which is the 'French can-can' from Offenbach's Vie Parisienne. The watch is thus unique even within the 'Isis' series, in itself already unique, its musical movement having been specially developed for the series in exclusivity. The watch was developed to celebrate the return of Reuge Music to its origins in mechanical music production. The founder of the company Charles Reuge, by origin a watch-maker, made musical watches in 1865 for leading personalities of the day, and one watch made for an English prime minister has recently been rediscovered.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1995-10-21
