Swiss silver watch with cylinder musical movement Circa 1905

Silver musical cylinder pocket watch
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A Swiss silver musical watch with barillet type pinned cylinder musical movement, circa 1905. Two independent trains with bidirectional dual winding, playing the famous music hall tune Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay at will. A polished bezel and band, the back cover with engine turned decoration and a central vacant cartouche, pin at 3 o’clock for winding the musical movement by turning the crown anti clockwise, pin for hand setting at one o’clock, slide at nine to activate the music. Glazed silver rimmed cover to view the movement. White enamel dial, the reverse signed Pil’s 05/12 Geneva, small offset chapter ring with radial Roman hours, outer minute track and gold Louis XV hands, the lower half decorated in gold depicting a rowing boat with two rowers and a third figure playing the accordion.
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A rhodium plated movement, base plate with oeil de perdrix decoration, watch movement with brass plates, dual winding from the same stem for both trains, jewelled cylinder escapement, three arm gold balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator with the engraved scale on the base plate. Musical movement with a large going barrel mounted between the dial and plate, barillet type pinned brass cylinder playing against 27 tuned steel teeth in a single comb. Case punched with Swiss and German hallmarks.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Weight: 144 g
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Signed: Albert Didisheim & Frères St. Imier Swiss
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This watch was made by the company of Albert Didisheim & Frères and incorporates their Swiss patent No. 6776 of June 13, 1893 for Système de raquette permettant un grand déplacement des goupilles. The musical movement plays the tune called Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay, a famous vaudeville and music hall song. Its first known public performance was in Henry J. Sayers’ 1891 revue ‘Tuxedo’ in Boston, Massachusetts.
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The Swiss watch manufacturer Henri-Albert Didisheim took over the company M & E Didisheim in Saint-Imier with his brothers Charles, Edgar and Hippolyte. In 1889 the company’s name was changed to Albert Didisheim & Frères and in 1895 it was renamed Henri-Albert Didisheim at that time, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The brand name Marvin was deposited under the direction of Henri-Albert.