Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 139

?The Musicians? Henry Capt à Genève, No. 771. Made circa 1815. Very fine and rare, 18K gold and painted on enamel pocket watch with independent music and automata.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

EUR 13,000 - 20,000 / USD 16,000 - 25,000

Sold: CHF 48,300

C. Three-body, ?Empire?, stepped bezel, reeded band, polished back with stepped border. D. Gold, eccentric, with black Arabic numerals with outer dot minute markers, engine turned center. Finely painted on enamel scene of a classical garden applied with multicoloured gold seated figures of two musicians, one playing the harp, the other playing the guitar. M. 48 mm. (21 1/2???), gilt brass, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance, flat blued steel balance spring, index regulator. Pinned cylinder musical movement with 10 steel comb teeth and connected to the automata, activated at will by pressing a button in the band. Scratch-signed on the dust ring around the movement. Diam. 57 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-8-11

Good

Slightly scratched

Slightly worn
Movement: 3-6*

Good

Slightly oxidized

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-24-28

Good

Slightly chipped

Replacements

Notes

Henry-Daniel Capt Born in Chenit in 1773, he married Henriette Piguet. He specialized in the production of complicated watches, musical watches and automaton watches. Among the first in Geneva to use the musical mechanism with pinned cylinder and comb with tuned teeth, he was famous for his snuffboxes with music and automaton scenes. From 1802 to 1811 he was in partnership with Daniel Isaac Piguet.