Swiss 18K gold quarter repeating automaton watch Circa 1820

Gold open faced key wind skeletonized watch
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A fine Swiss 18 carat gold open faced quarter repeating skeletonized pocket watch with a Jaquemarts automaton depicting Le Corbeau et le Renard (The Raven and the Fox) made by Courvoisier & Comp, circa 1820. It has a mechanical key wind movement with a cylinder escapement, mirror polished gear train, three armed spiral balance secured at both ends and an advance/delay adjustment ratchet. The chime features a quarter repetition mechanism with three hammers striking three distinct gongs, triggered via the pendant stem.
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The face has an outer annular white enamel chapter ring with elegant Breguet numerals for the hours and an outer minute track, signed by the watchmaker. The center features an intricately carved and chased multicoloured gold automaton scene based on La Fontaine’s fables, dynamically animated with a chime. It shows a standing peasant figure striking a scythe symbolizing time, a monkey striking a triangle held by a hand emerging from a cloud and a raven striking a bell at the end of a tree branch, all observed by a fixed fox figure in the lower register.
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This timepiece is housed in a refined round hinged case with a fluted band, glazed cuvette revealing the mechanical skeletonized layout and a fully engine turned reverse stamped with maker’s mark PHMI on the inside. It is completed by a sturdy round suspension bow.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Weight: 117.6 g
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Signed: Courvoisier & Comp
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Historical and Symbolic Significance
This exceptional timepiece is one of only a few known watches to feature automation based on the work of Jean de La Fontaine, one of French literature’s greatest minds. In the fable Le Corbeau et le Renard (The Raven and the Fox), time serves as a powerful symbol for human nature. While the proud raven succumbs to immediacy, flattery, and costly impatience, the cunning fox embodies strategy, patience, and a flawless mastery of timing. This intricate automaton perfectly captures that tension, dynamically reminding the viewer of the fable’s ultimate moral: the vital importance of caution, reflection, and choosing the right moment before taking action.