Swiss gold quarter repeater for the Chinese market Circa 1825

Rose gold, champlevé and painted on enamel, pearl-set watch 
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A very fine, rare Swiss 18 carat rose gold, champlevé and painted on enamel, pearl set open faced quarter repeating centre seconds pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1825. Gilt brass movement, foliate engraved bridge calibre, standing barrel, cylinder escapement, three armed plain brass balance, flat balance spring, index regulator, repeating on square section gongs activated by depressing the pendant. Hinged gold cuvette finely decorated with champlevé enamel and chased gold basket of flowers. Silver dial with applied gold Roman numerals, outer minute track, outer dot seconds divisions, engraved rosette centre and original blued steel lozenge hands. The case back with a very finely painted on enamel scene depicting a classically dressed lady pointing at the inscription on a tomb to her son with a soldier behind, bezels, pendant and bow set with half pearls, flat band decorated with sky blue champlevé enamel, red translucent enamel lozenges and gold foliage, the pendant decorated to match maker’s mark DB in a lozenge. Punch numbered on the pillar plate under the dial, case numbered.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: No name
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This watch can confidently be attributed to Piguet & Meylan, the style and decoration of the movement and numbering series is typical of their watches. The fine enamel scene, with pronounced pointillist technique, appears to be by the same hand. It probably depicts the scene of Andromache and Astyanax at Hector’s tomb. Andromache, the devoted wife of Hector, prince of Troy, was distraught when her husband died in the Trojan War. Hector and Andromache’s son Astyanax was Troy’s hope for the future. To insure he would never follow in his father’s footsteps, he was killed by the Greeks.
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Piguet & Meylan both originally from the village of Le Chenit in the Vallée de Joux, Isaac Daniel Piguet (1775-1841) and Philippe Samuel Meylan (1772-1845) came to Geneva as young men and formed a partnership which lasted from 1811 to 1828. The company specialized in elaborate and beautifully decorated musical watches, including skeleton and automaton watches and mechanical animals. The firm was established at 45, rue Jean Jacques Rousseau in Geneva. After their association came to an end, both Piguet and Meylan continued for some time to work with their sons.