Swiss centre seconds musical automata lever Circa 1985

Gold-plated musical watch with automata by Reuge
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A very fine Swiss gold-plated open faced centre seconds musical lever pocket watch with automaton, concealed erotic automaton and alarm, circa 1980s. Rhodium-plated movement, 17 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, flat balance spring, shock absorber, index regulator. The cuvette with an aperture for the erotic automaton and winding the music, and a button for activating the music. A small white enamel dial in the upper half of the dial, Arabic hours, an outer minute/seconds track and gilt Breguet hands, a polychrome painted view of a country landscape with applied gilt metal automaton of a lady operating a water pump with moving water, a gentleman on horseback with a hawk on his moving arm and the horse with animated head drinking from the fountain, gilt metal foliage with two dogs and a basket in the foreground. The hinged case back engine-turned, a polished bezel and milled band. Dial signed, movement numbered. Accompanied by the original fitted presentation box and key.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Reuge
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The origins of Reuge date back to 1865 when Charles Reuge set up a musical pocket watch shop in the Swiss Mountain town of Sainte-Croix. By 1886 his son, Albert Reuge opened a music box workshop, the company experienced success and their mechanisms were to be found in a range of products such as powder compacts and cigarette lighters. By 1930 Guido Reuge had built the Reuge factory and he guided the company for over 60 years. Today Reuge retains its historical elements still producing singing birds but moving with the times, their music boxes today come in traditional but also modern and innovative designs.