90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 504

Girard-Perregaux, La Chaux de Fonds, Case No. 200881, 56 mm, 148 g, circa 1890
A remarkable minute repeating hunting case pocket watch with automaton "Corrida" - made for the Ibero South American market
Case: 18k rosé gold, lavishly florally engraved, à goutte, case band engraved with geometrical pattern, signed gold dome, slider for the repeater. Dial: enamel, enamel outer chapter ring with radial Roman numerals, central automaton with polychrome enamel figures: a bull nods its head at the hour, a matador stabs the bull with his espada at the quarter hour, auxiliary seconds, gold spade hands. Movm.: bridge movement, nickel-plated, stripe-decorated, 2 hammers, 2 gongs, screwed gold chatons, Swiss Patent No 691 issued to Paul-Henri Stauffer for the automaton mechanism, gold screw compensation balance, counterpoised lever.
This piece is a wonderful example of the fine quality Swiss watches that were produced specially for the Hispanic market.
With its elaborately engraved case it is very likely to have been a special commission. As the watch is lavishly ornamented and has an extremely rare and unusual automaton scene of a matador fighting a bull in the centre, it can be assumed that it was created to the order of a nobleman.

Sold

estimated
25.50035.000 €
Price realized
32.400 €