Swiss 18 carat gold watch with musical movement Circa 1815

Fine pocket watch with musical movement.
–
A fine numbered pocket watch with musical movement and repeater, made by Henry Capt in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1815. The numbered open faced case of this watch was crafted from 18 carat gold and has a coined band and an engine turned back lid. The gold engine turned dial has Roman hour numerals and Breguet steel hands. The musical Lépine movement has a quarter repeating mechanism and a cylinder escapement.
Cuvette signed.
–
Diameter: 56 mm
–
Weight: 114 g
–
Signed: Henry Capt à Genève
–
Henry Capt was one of the most important Geneva makers of musical watches and automata watches. The optical condition of this watch is outstanding.
–
Henry Capt
Henry-Daniel Capt was an independent Swiss watchmaker who specialized in watches with additional complications such as musical watches and automatons. Capt was one of the first in Geneva to use barrels and crowns in his automatons. He was born in Chenit in the Vallée de Joux in April 1773, as the son of Jaques Samuel Capt and Susanne Piguet. His brother was Charles Samuel Capt. On January 1st, 1796, he married Henriette Piguet. In the Vallée de Joux, Capt trained as an établisseur. Around 1789, Henry settled in Geneva and worked for renowned companies such as Jaquet-Droz, Godet, Leschot and his brother-in-law Daniel Isaac Piguet. In 1802 he went into partnership with Daniel Isaac Piguet, which lasted until 1811. When this partnership ended, Capt kept producing his pieces before entering another partnership with Aubert et Fils in 1830 as Aubert & Capt, located in Place Bel-Air, Geneva. The firm was taken over by his son, Henry Capt, in 1844. He opened a shop on the Rue du Rhône in 1855, which quickly gained an excellent reputation. During the 1870s, the Henry Capt company advertised that they were the only Geneva watch manufacturer to have a branch retail house in London. He also established branches in Paris, Nice and New York. The house of Henry Capt flourished for many decades. Henry-Daniel Capt died in 1841.