Swiss 18K gold repeating verge automaton watch Circa 1805

Gold quarter repeater with Jacquemarts 
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced quarter repeating verge pocket watch, circa 1800-1810. Gilded brass movement with fusee and chain, a verge escapement, key winding, gilt brass monometallic balance, flat blued steel hairspring, pierced and engraved gilded continental cock, a polished steel end piece, the repeater work on the main plate under the dial repeating the quarter hours on two steel gongs activated by depressing the pendant. A gilt metal cuvette.

White enamel chapter ring with Breguet hours, outer minute divisions and blued steel Breguet hands, a central chiselled varicoloured gold scene showing two Jacquemarts, Les Angelots grimpants, striking the elapsed time, in the décor representing an arch, on request, two cherubs strike the past time by climbing along the columns, the cherub on the right strikes the hours and the second stroke of the quarters while the cherub on the left strikes the first stroke of the quarters, below the arch a dog looks at them, all animated by the repeating mechanism. The case back is guilloché with a horizontal oval medallion at 6 o’clock and a reeded band.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 133 g
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Signed: François l’Hardy Geneva
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François l’Hardy (also known as Lhardy or Lardy) was a watchmaker from circa 1790 to 1825 in Geneva and also worked in Paris towards the end of the 18th century. He was widely regarded as one of the most prominent watchmakers of the time and was known for the highest quality. L’Hardy made automaton, repeating and skeleton watches.
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A cherub is a kind of angel, one of the second rank. Cherubs or cherubim, as the Hebrew plural is, were the ancient Israelites’ representations of symbolic, otherworldly beings. According to the Bible, a cherub looks different from other angels. Angels are often described as beings without wings, only in Revelation 14:6 angels are described as having wings, and they look like human beings. Cherubs always have wings and often look like animals.