Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 31, 1998

LOT 439

Piguet & Meylan, Geneve, No. 402, circa 1820. Extremely fine and rare 18K gold, quarter repeating centre seconds watch, with special movement and special escapement. As new, in original red Morocco fitted box, accompanied by a gold engine-turned extra dial and the original sale ticket.

CHF 22,000 - 26,000

Sold: CHF 27,600

C. Four body, "forme quatre baguettes", engineturned. Hinged gold glazed cuvette. D. White enamel with Roman numerals and outer minute and seconds ring, gold engine turned with Roman numerals on a polished chapter ring. Blued steel "scotties" hands. M. 19 "' , highly unusual blued steel and polished steel calibre with a free standing barrel and a silver wheel train, 11 jewels, double wheel duplex escapement, plain silver three-arm balance, blued steel flat balance spring. Repeating on gongs by depressing the pendant, the polished steel repeating work on the back of the movement over a blued steel ground. Signed on the gold dial, numbered on the fitted box and the sale ticket. Diam. 57 mm.


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Grading System
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

According to the dedication written in the box, on the cover of the spare dial, this watch was presented by Mrs. Use d'Epinay to Doctor Shanks in testimony of friendship and gratitude. Piguet and Meylan were highly reputed makers for musical and automaton watches. They also produced watches with this type of movement, mainly for some of the magnificent watches producecl for the Chinese Market (refer to the magnificent quarter repeating watch designed as a rose, sold by Antiquorum in Geneva, on April 21, 1996, lot 267), but to date, no other movement of this type, also fitted with a double wheel duplex escapement, is known to exist. This watch was described by T. P. Camerer Cuss and illustrated by T. A. Camerer Cuss, in Me Camerer uss Boor o/ Antique Thatches; PP. 196 and 197, pl. 119 and colour pl. 4, p. 121. Piguet & Meylan Philippe Samuel Meylan, born February 15, 1772, in Bas-clu- Chenit, died in 1845. At the age of 20 he came to Geneva where he worked for Godemar Freres in quality of Master worker. Afterwards he went back to Brassus where he founded a little factory in 1811. He then returned to Geneva where he settled down. There he met another watchmaker from his own village, Isaac Piguet, who became his partner, founding the Piguet & Meylan Firm, which lasted from 1811 to 1828. It specialised in minute "cadratures", musical watches, skeleton or automaton watches, mechanical animals and figures. Daniel Isaac Piguet, born in Chenit in 1775, died in Geneva in 1841. Very skilful watchmaker, he associated himself a first time with Henry Capt, from 1802 to 1811, then with Samuel Philippe Meyl m, another watchmaker from the same village, until 1828. Their works were signed or marked "P.M." within a lozenge. After 1828, he went on with his activities with his son, under the name of Piguet ID & Fils. Their creations were for a large part made for the Chinese Market. It is told that an important collector from Sidney bought a large quantity of watches and other musical and automaton objects of vertu, but the boat which carried the pieces was shipwrecked in the middle of the Indian Ocean.