Important Watches and Wristwatches

St-moritz, Badrutt's Palace Hotel, Feb 25, 1990

LOT 180

Anonymous, probably Piguet & Capt, Geneva, circa 1805.

Extremely fine 18k gold and enamel pearl set snuff-box with a watch and a scene with four automatons. Framed by split pearls, Ceres the goddess of plenty, sat on her chariot and holding a cornucopia. is finely painted on the semi-circular enamel panel on the cover. Small covers on each side with applied chased gold figures over a black enamel background. disclose the watch on the left and the automaton scene on the right. The bottom and the side panels are of blue translucent enamel over engine turning ( slightly restored) with further blue and black champlevé enamelled palm leaf decoration with four lyres on each side of the front and the rear panels. White enamel dial with Arabic numerals, subsidiary dial for the seconds. blued steel "lance" hands. The blue enamel dial plate with champlevé decoration. Rectangular giIt brass full plate movement with cylindrical pillars, going barrel, cylinder escape-ment with a plain gilt brass three armed balance and a polished steel endpiece. Depicting the forge of Venus the three coloured gold automaton scene with on the fore-ground a Cupid pumping the bellow, the Eire is burning on the forge, whilst another Cupid is hammering the weapons of Venus. a windmill is turning in a painted enamel land-scape on the background. In good condition. Dim. 80 x 35 x 15 mm.