LOT 68
上一件
下一件
Attributed to Piguet & Meylan and Frères Oltramere A fine and extremely rare gold, enamel and pearl-set open-faced minute repeating centre seconds watch made for the Chinese market with double wheel duplex escapement and three hammers repeating on three gongs | Circa 1821-5 | No. 7671
作品估价：CHF 35,000 - 55,000
货币换算
成交状态：未知
买家佣金拍卖企业在落槌价的基础上收取买家佣金
26%
图录号：
68
拍品名称：
Attributed to Piguet & Meylan and Frères Oltramere A fine and extremely rare gold, enamel and pearl-set open-faced minute repeating centre seconds watch made for the Chinese market with double wheel duplex escapement and three hammers repeating on three gongs | Circa 1821-5 | No. 7671
拍品描述：
· polished blued steel semi-skeletonised back plate, double wheel duplex escapement, plain three-arm balance with ruby endstone, hanging barrel, polished steel repeating work mounted to back plate, three polished steel hammers minute repeating on three square section gongs activated via the pendant
· white enamel dial, Roman numerals, Arabic 15-minute markers, blued steel hands, long centre seconds with moon-tipped counterpoised tail, the hour and minute hands with lozenge-shaped tips
· gold drum-shaped case, split-pearl-set bezels to front and back, sides to both bezels with dark blue semi-translucent enamel with gold paillons, quatrefoil and omega motifs separated by repeated rows of three turquoise enamel roundels, central band of translucent red flinqué enamel interspersed with gold paillons and opaque green enamel leaves heightened with seed pearls, gold pendant and bow decorated with dark blue enamel and pearls, pushers either side of pendant for opening front and back covers, lacking case back panel, glazed hinged cuvette with apertures for winding and hand setting, inside front and back bezels and interior case edge beside dial numbered 7671
diameter 58mm
Christie’s, London, 12 June 1996, Lot 106
The movement of this watch is a remarkable and important example of Piguet & Meylan’s work. While the firm is well known for their execution of quarter repeating watches, examples of minute repeating Piguet & Meylan watches are so extraordinarily rare as to be almost unheard of. The movement of the present watch can be closely compared to that of another minute repeating watch by Piguet & Meylan at the Patek Philippe Museum (Inv. S-831), the latter also illustrated in Peter Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Geneva: Patek Philippe Museum, Vol. IV, p. 506. The Museum watch has a cylinder rather than double wheel duplex escapement; however, the architecture is otherwise very closely comparable with the present watch and is similarly treated with a blued finish to the main-plate and visible polished steel repeating work. Of particular interest is the fact that the Museum’s watch is signed “I. D. Piguet et S. Meylan à Genève / 7515 / fecit anno 1821”. Piguet & Meylan’s movements, when signed, invariably only carry the firm’s PM punch mark. The full signature together with the year and the ‘fecit’ legend showing Piguet & Meylan’s specific statement that the movement is of their manufacture is exceedingly unusual. It seems highly likely that this form of signature was specially chosen to be applied by the makers to re-enforce their excellence and achievement in mastering the minute repeating complication.
In addition to the rarity of its minute repeating function, the watch is also notable for its use of a double wheel duplex escapement. Another exceptionally unusual feature to find in a watch by Piguet & Meylan. Another example of a double wheel duplex watch by Piguet & Meylan can be found at the Patek Philippe Museum. The latter watch with quarter rather than minute repetition carries the Patek Philippe Museum Inventory No. S-737 and is illustrated in P. Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. IV, p. 507. One further example, again at the Patek Philippe Museum and again with quarter rather than minute repetition (Inv. S-964) is illustrated in Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. III, p. 413.
Producing movements for some of the finest and most important Swiss watches of the early 19th century, the firm of Piguet & Meylan was established in 1811 by Isaac-Daniel Piguet (1775–1841) and Philippe-Samuel Meylan (1772–1845). Their partnership, which lasted until 1828, became renowned for its innovations in watchmaking. Piguet, born in Chenit in the Vallée de Joux, later moved to Geneva, where he became a Burgher in 1812—just a year after forming the partnership with Meylan to focus on the manufacture of watches, jewellery, and mechanisms of all kinds (see: E. Jaquet & A. Chapuis, Technique and History of the Swiss Watch, 1970 edition, p.149). Piguet was known for his expertise in creating complex watches, particularly those with carillons and clock watches. Meylan, born in Bas-du-Chenit, is credited with adapting tongues of sonorous metal for the combs in musical movements, which were used in watches and other small objects. The duo made significant advancements in developing small and ultra-thin movements for watches, musical boxes, and automata. Among their many contributions, Piguet & Meylan are credited with inventing the sur-plateau musical movement. The automata they produced are regarded as some of the finest ever created, featuring singing birds, barking dogs, and even magicians capable of answering a series of questions.
Although now lacking its back panel, the gold, enamel and pearl-set case can be closely compared with another watch case by Frères Oltramere [active 1815 to 1826] that also houses a Piguet & Meylan movement. This latter watch, in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum (Inv. S-631), is illustrated in Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. III, p. 480. The Museum watch has an almost identical design to its pendant and bow and is also decorated to front and back with split pearls and has a champlevé and flinqué enamel band. Specializing in opulent cases for the Chinese market, Frères Oltramare produced some of the finest enamel decorated watch cases of the period. The firm worked closely with Piguet & Meylan whose movements can frequently be found in Oltramare cases. Frères Oltramare also collaborated with some of the greatest enamel miniaturists of their day, including Jean-Louis Richter and Jean-François Victor Dupont. Frères Oltramare cases incorporated a range of decorative enamel techniques, the most elaborate of which were often heightened with pearls. Case back decoration could vary greatly and might include large polychrome enamel painted panels depicting still lives, classical scenes, landscapes and, occasionally, religious scenes.
· white enamel dial, Roman numerals, Arabic 15-minute markers, blued steel hands, long centre seconds with moon-tipped counterpoised tail, the hour and minute hands with lozenge-shaped tips
· gold drum-shaped case, split-pearl-set bezels to front and back, sides to both bezels with dark blue semi-translucent enamel with gold paillons, quatrefoil and omega motifs separated by repeated rows of three turquoise enamel roundels, central band of translucent red flinqué enamel interspersed with gold paillons and opaque green enamel leaves heightened with seed pearls, gold pendant and bow decorated with dark blue enamel and pearls, pushers either side of pendant for opening front and back covers, lacking case back panel, glazed hinged cuvette with apertures for winding and hand setting, inside front and back bezels and interior case edge beside dial numbered 7671
diameter 58mm
Christie’s, London, 12 June 1996, Lot 106
The movement of this watch is a remarkable and important example of Piguet & Meylan’s work. While the firm is well known for their execution of quarter repeating watches, examples of minute repeating Piguet & Meylan watches are so extraordinarily rare as to be almost unheard of. The movement of the present watch can be closely compared to that of another minute repeating watch by Piguet & Meylan at the Patek Philippe Museum (Inv. S-831), the latter also illustrated in Peter Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Geneva: Patek Philippe Museum, Vol. IV, p. 506. The Museum watch has a cylinder rather than double wheel duplex escapement; however, the architecture is otherwise very closely comparable with the present watch and is similarly treated with a blued finish to the main-plate and visible polished steel repeating work. Of particular interest is the fact that the Museum’s watch is signed “I. D. Piguet et S. Meylan à Genève / 7515 / fecit anno 1821”. Piguet & Meylan’s movements, when signed, invariably only carry the firm’s PM punch mark. The full signature together with the year and the ‘fecit’ legend showing Piguet & Meylan’s specific statement that the movement is of their manufacture is exceedingly unusual. It seems highly likely that this form of signature was specially chosen to be applied by the makers to re-enforce their excellence and achievement in mastering the minute repeating complication.
In addition to the rarity of its minute repeating function, the watch is also notable for its use of a double wheel duplex escapement. Another exceptionally unusual feature to find in a watch by Piguet & Meylan. Another example of a double wheel duplex watch by Piguet & Meylan can be found at the Patek Philippe Museum. The latter watch with quarter rather than minute repetition carries the Patek Philippe Museum Inventory No. S-737 and is illustrated in P. Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. IV, p. 507. One further example, again at the Patek Philippe Museum and again with quarter rather than minute repetition (Inv. S-964) is illustrated in Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. III, p. 413.
Producing movements for some of the finest and most important Swiss watches of the early 19th century, the firm of Piguet & Meylan was established in 1811 by Isaac-Daniel Piguet (1775–1841) and Philippe-Samuel Meylan (1772–1845). Their partnership, which lasted until 1828, became renowned for its innovations in watchmaking. Piguet, born in Chenit in the Vallée de Joux, later moved to Geneva, where he became a Burgher in 1812—just a year after forming the partnership with Meylan to focus on the manufacture of watches, jewellery, and mechanisms of all kinds (see: E. Jaquet & A. Chapuis, Technique and History of the Swiss Watch, 1970 edition, p.149). Piguet was known for his expertise in creating complex watches, particularly those with carillons and clock watches. Meylan, born in Bas-du-Chenit, is credited with adapting tongues of sonorous metal for the combs in musical movements, which were used in watches and other small objects. The duo made significant advancements in developing small and ultra-thin movements for watches, musical boxes, and automata. Among their many contributions, Piguet & Meylan are credited with inventing the sur-plateau musical movement. The automata they produced are regarded as some of the finest ever created, featuring singing birds, barking dogs, and even magicians capable of answering a series of questions.
Although now lacking its back panel, the gold, enamel and pearl-set case can be closely compared with another watch case by Frères Oltramere [active 1815 to 1826] that also houses a Piguet & Meylan movement. This latter watch, in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum (Inv. S-631), is illustrated in Friess, The Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol. III, p. 480. The Museum watch has an almost identical design to its pendant and bow and is also decorated to front and back with split pearls and has a champlevé and flinqué enamel band. Specializing in opulent cases for the Chinese market, Frères Oltramare produced some of the finest enamel decorated watch cases of the period. The firm worked closely with Piguet & Meylan whose movements can frequently be found in Oltramare cases. Frères Oltramare also collaborated with some of the greatest enamel miniaturists of their day, including Jean-Louis Richter and Jean-François Victor Dupont. Frères Oltramare cases incorporated a range of decorative enamel techniques, the most elaborate of which were often heightened with pearls. Case back decoration could vary greatly and might include large polychrome enamel painted panels depicting still lives, classical scenes, landscapes and, occasionally, religious scenes.