90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 211

Attributed to Piguet et Meylan à Brassus / Henry Capt à Genève, Case No. 6379, Movement No. 317, 61 mm, 162 g, circa 1815
A gentleman’s magnificent and very fine gold enamel pocket watch with quarter repeater and musical movement; studded with half pearls and turquoises, produced for the Chinese market
Case: 18K rose gold, bezels, pendant and bow studded with half pearls, the case band with half pearls and turquoises. Back with medallion, very fine polychrome enamel painting: a Chinese lakescape with a pair of anglers, a waterfall and two pagoda houses in the background. Fond lavishly engine-turned with translucent cobalt blue enamelling; gold dome, pusher for repetition via pendant, slide for musical movement and silence. Dial: gold, engine-turned with lavish floral engraving, white enamel cartouches with Arabic numerals, central oval medallion with polychrome enamel painting: guitar and book with sheets of music surrounded by roses on a green background, framed by engraved garlands of laurel and oak leaves, Louis XVI hands. Movm.: bridge movement, musical movement with pinned disc and 24 tuned vibrating blades, firegilt, 2 hammers, 2 gongs, 2 barrels, keywind, cylinder escapement, mirror-polished and bevelled levers for musical movement, three-arm ring balance.
Piguet et Meylan à Brassus / Henry Capt à Genève
Piguet was an expert craftsman who produced his watches in partnership with Henry Capt and Philippe Samuel Meylan, and later also with his sons. Philippe Samuel Meylan came to Geneva at the age of 20 to work for Audemars Frères. He opened his own workshop near Le Brassus in 1811, but returned to Geneva later. He met Piguet and formed the partnership with him; they worked in Geneva under the name "Piguet & Meylan" from 1811 to 1828. The company became famous for its pocket watches with special functions; they created automatons with man and animal shapes and intricate musical mechanisms as well as skeleton watches.

Sold

estimated
90.000130.000 €
Price realized
123.900 €