Swiss gold repeating carillon watch with automata Circa 1895

Gold full hunter minute repeating lever watch
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased (Savonette) carillon minute repeating pocket watch with automata, made by C.J. & A. Perrenoud & Cie in Le Locle, for the Hispanic market, late 19th century. This watch features a hand wound mechanical movement with a lever escapement, a bimetallic balance spring, an advance/delay adjustment racket on the balance bridge, chatonné jewels, and three hammers for the carillon minute repeater chime. The white enamel dial displays Roman numerals for the hours at the centre, a railway minute track, and a small seconds hand. Three polychrome enamel automata are painted around the rim, representing the arts of painting, sculpture, letters and music: two women indicate the hours, quarters and minutes, while a young man with his chisel on the lower right activates with the chime function.
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The round 18 carat yellow gold case features stylised decorative motifs on both sides, with a blank monogrammed cartouche in the centre on one side and a mythological lion’s head figure on the other. The gold cuvette is signed C.J. et A. Perrenoud & Cie à Le Locle.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Weight: 143 g
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Signed: C.J. & A. Perrenoud & Cie, Le Locle
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In the late 19th century, Spain was an important market for Swiss watchmakers. Lovers of richly decorated cases combined with quality movements, Spanish collectors were particularly fond of striking mechanisms with automata, represented by polychrome enamelled figures.