Swiss gold and enamel repeating watch with automaton Circa 1802
- Kenmerk
- FA0180
- Diameter
- 59 mm
- Estimate
- € 40.000 - 80.000
- Price sold
- € 56.050
Gold and enamel musical automaton
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An extremely fine and rare Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel open faced quarter repeating pocket watch with automaton scene and special movement featuring a special escapement, circa 1802. The movement and automaton were made by Antoine Rojard in Genève. Gilt movement, a crescent shaped backplate with two bells sunk into the movement, flared cylindrical pillars, a going barrel, virgule escapement, three arm balance, flat blued steel balance spring and an index regulator.
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An extremely fine and rare Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel open faced quarter repeating pocket watch with automaton scene and special movement featuring a special escapement, circa 1802. The movement and automaton were made by Antoine Rojard in Genève. Gilt movement, a crescent shaped backplate with two bells sunk into the movement, flared cylindrical pillars, a going barrel, virgule escapement, three arm balance, flat blued steel balance spring and an index regulator.
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A polished case with maker’s mark CL, the band pierced with sound openings. Small white enamel dial for the time indication with Breguet hours, an outer minute track, Arabic quarter hour numerals, five minute markers and blued steel Breguet hands. The front further with a very finely polychrome enamel scene depicting a woodcutter’s hut in a river landscape, applied multi coloured gold figures of the kneeling woodcutters using a steel band-saw to cut a log, to the left a man up a ladder chopping a tree with an axe, to the right a fountain, above two flying cherubs holding torches and appearing to strike two bells.
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Movement signed and numbered, case numbered. The dial scratch signed on the reverse Ante. Rojard à Genève L’an 1802, on the movement below the barrel Invente L’an 1802, Rojard à Genève and the bell scratch signed Chenevière.
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Movement signed and numbered, case numbered. The dial scratch signed on the reverse Ante. Rojard à Genève L’an 1802, on the movement below the barrel Invente L’an 1802, Rojard à Genève and the bell scratch signed Chenevière.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Signed: Bordier & Roux et Cie à Genève
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The unusual automaton scene depicted on this watch is particularly clever in that it visually makes use of the sound of the repeating mechanism fly as it whirrs around, the sound being very similar to that of a saw being used. The movement is a rare type where the two stacked bells are sunk into the movement. Most of the few watches known to exist fitted with similar movements carry the signature of the Geneva watchmaker Chevalier & Cochet. However, other examples have been discovered, variously signed by Pepin and Moricand in Genève and now with this watch, by Bordier & Cie. It was not known which maker invented this type of movement until the discovery of the scratched signatures on this watch.
Diameter: 59 mm
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Signed: Bordier & Roux et Cie à Genève
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The unusual automaton scene depicted on this watch is particularly clever in that it visually makes use of the sound of the repeating mechanism fly as it whirrs around, the sound being very similar to that of a saw being used. The movement is a rare type where the two stacked bells are sunk into the movement. Most of the few watches known to exist fitted with similar movements carry the signature of the Geneva watchmaker Chevalier & Cochet. However, other examples have been discovered, variously signed by Pepin and Moricand in Genève and now with this watch, by Bordier & Cie. It was not known which maker invented this type of movement until the discovery of the scratched signatures on this watch.
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This makes this watch an important document, adding to our knowledge of the watchmaking industry in Geneva. The bells found in high quality Geneva watches are sometimes signed by the bell maker Chenevière. One of the bells in the movement of the Chinese Peony watch sold by Antiquorum in Geneva was signed by Chenevière.
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Bio Bordier & Roux watchmakers and merchants were active from 1770 to 1810.
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Antoine Rojard was most likely the son of Jean-Daniel, a horologist, and was active at the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. He is known to have produced automaton and unusual watches, including ones with thermometers.
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Antoine Rojard was most likely the son of Jean-Daniel, a horologist, and was active at the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. He is known to have produced automaton and unusual watches, including ones with thermometers.
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The Rojard firm continued until the end of the 19th century and produced among other things repeating watches in the English style. Rojard claimed to have invented an automaton mechanism in which as one function was disengaged another almost immediately engaged, allowing a sequence of mechanical actions to be displayed. This control mechanism runs from a single wheel and reduces the overall complexity of the mechanism without diminishing the effect or apparent complexity of the automaton.
Signed: Bordier & Roux et Cie à Genève
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