Important Swiss virgule Jacquemart automaton Circa 1800

Silver open faced virgule watch by Robert & Courvoisier
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An important and rare Swiss silver open faced quarter repeating Jacquemart figure automaton, circa 1800. Very fine movement, virgule escapement, repeating the hours and quarter hours. Small white enamel dial on the upper half of the front with Arabic numerals, two coaxial bells, applied fire gilt figures striking the bells with hammers against a dark blue enamelled night sky in the background. Engine-turned case, reeded band, gilt movement mounting, case maker’s punch mark VR. Cuvette signed and numbered, dial signed.
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Diameter: 65 mm
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Weight: 184 g
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Signed: Robert & Courvoisier
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This piece is certainly one of the rarest Jacquemart automatons. It is assumed there are only about 20 pieces with visible coaxial bells noted. According to research, the present watch is the only one of these watches with a virgule escapement and one of the biggest and heaviest automata watches ever. The rarity of this watch is further reinforced by the fact that it is the only signed piece by the famous Geneva maker Robert & Courvoisier, who specialized in the production of complex automatons and musical watches.
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Robert & Courvoisier are clock and watchmakers from La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The firm was founded in 1795 as a successor to J. Robert & Fils, Courvoisier. In 1770 the firm was originally established by Josué Robert (1691–1771). After Robert’s death, a year after the company was founded, the firm was renamed Josué Robert & Fils and was led by his son Louis Benjamin Robert (1732–1781). They mainly produced large clockworks, but as Benjamin’s son-in-law, Louis Courvoisier became a companion, pocket watches were put into production. When Louis Benjamin died, Louis Courvoisier became the manager of the firm. From 1787 to 1795 the firm was called J. Robert & Fils, Courvoisier. From 1795 to 1805 it was renamed Robert & Courvoisier. Since 1805 the firm’s name was Robert, Courvoisier & Cie with Philip Grandjean as a business partner. In 1852 it became Courvoisier Frères. The firm continued under the direction of various members of the Courvoisier family until the 1930s. Along with the Jaquet-Droz firm, they were the most important makers of musical clocks and around the turn of the 18^th and 19^th centuries, their portable officers’ watches were famous.