French quarter repeating verge with five actions Circa 1815

Repeating automaton with open face by Blanc Fils
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A French rare, large gold pocket watch with a striking mechanism and automatic figurine with five actions, Die Messerschleiferei (The Knife Grinder), circa 1815.
Gilt full plate verge movement, pierced and engraved balance bridge, silver regulation with a blued steel hand, spindle mechanism with repetition of the hours and quarter hours. Dial with central automaton scene depicting a workman grinding a knife whilst a young figure attends to the grinding wheel set within an arch; two putti sit above striking on two bells, black Arabic numerals to white enamel surround, outer minute divisions and black Breguet hands. Polished round hinged 18K gold case, reeded band, repeat and automaton activated via the stem. Cuvette signed, case stamped and numbered.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Weight: 149 g
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Signed: Blanc Fils Palais Royal, Paris
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Numerous watches with this machine are known but in different high quality. Due to the details of the machine and the quality, this copy belongs as well as the extremely high-quality case to the best examples that are known. Comparable, almost identical object.
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The current piece, coined ‘The Knife Grinder’ or ‘Le Rémouleur’, combines two striking Jacquemarts and an animated scene with four automatons. To the left, a knife grinder sharpens his knife on his grindstone by moving his arms up and down and behind him, his apprentice driving his larger grinder wheel by hand, thus turning the grindstone. All functions are activated simultaneously by the plunge repeat. Automaton pocket watches were particularly popular during the first half of the 19th Century and were exported worldwide.