Lot 188

Piguet & Meylan zugeschr./attr. to

An exquisite gold enamel pocket watch with quarter repeater and musical movement; set with split pearls and produced for the Chinese market

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The case back is decorated with radial engine-turned pattern and translucent red enamelling. Band, pendant and bow of this musical watch have been enamelled with polychrome Champlevé ornamentation and are set with half pearls on both sides.

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 Louis Audemars & Cie. 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 was well known for the production of early ”China-watches” and 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.