Swiss golden grande and petite sonnerie pocket watch Circa 1825

Pocket watch probably delivered to Breguet in Paris
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A rare and highly coveted timepiece, the Piguet & Meylan watch is a testament to the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of Swiss watchmaking. Housed in a stunning red mahogany box with a golden key for winding, this watch was likely delivered to Breguet in Paris around 1825. The watch features an 18 carat gold open faced case with the remains of the Piguet & Meylan hallmark visible and engine turned back. The dial is classic Breguet, with Roman numerals for the hours and blued steel Breguet hands. The fine movement of exceptional quality boasts two barrels and stone cylinder escapement, early shock protection, hour and quarter hour strike on cylindrical gongs and a repeater triggered by a tiny pusher in the pendant. One of the most unique features of this timepiece is the trip repeater, which allows the wearer to activate the repeater function using a small pusher located under the edge of the glass. The watch also has two slides for selecting “Sonnerie Silence” and “Grande Sonnerie & Petite Sonnerie”.
The dust cover is marked with the Horloge Breguet logo and both the case and movement have matching numbers. The dial is signed by PM (Piguet & Meylan), indicating the watch’s origin and maker.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Weight: 135 g
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Signed: Breguet
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Piguet & Meylan
Piguet & Meylan were both originally from the village of Le Chenit in the Vallée de Joux, Isaac Daniel Piguet (1775-1841) and Philippe Samuel Meylan (1772- 1845) came to Geneva as young men and formed a partnership that lasted from 1811 to 1828. The company specialized in elaborate and beautifully decorated musical watches, including skeleton and automaton watches and mechanical animals. They employed some of the best enamel painters to decorate their watches. The company further is particularly known for its watches made for the Chinese Market. Examples of their work are in many of the world’s foremost collections including the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musée d’Horlogerie in Le Locle. The firm was established at 45, Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau in Geneva. After their association came to an end both Piguet and Meylan continued for some time to work with their sons. Meylan is also credited with the invention of the Bagnolet calibre. After Piguet & Meylan was dissolved, Philippe Samuel Meylan continued to work with his sons François and David Auguste. The company was known for producing high quality watches, including complicated timepieces such as minute repeaters and perpetual calendars. The company was eventually acquired by Audemars Piguet in 1929 and became known as Audemars Piguet & Cie.
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This watch suggests that the companies Piguet & Meylan and Breguet had a partnership and that this Piguet & Meylan made pocket watch was sold through the House of Breguet. It is known that such partnerships existed, for example with Dubois and Decombaz. These watches also have five digit numbers between 13.000 and 16.000 and were signed Breguet. The company Piguet & Meylan manufactured the finest, complicated pocket watches, automata and music boxes and was the most important Geneva manufacturer for the Chinese market. Most works are combined with musical works or automatons. A “Grande & Petit Sonnerie” with a movement by Piguet & Meylan is an absolute rarity! complicated pocket watches, automatons and music boxes and was the most important Geneva manufacturer for the Chinese market. Most works are combined with musical works or automatons. A “Grande & Petit Sonnerie” with a movement by Piguet & Meylan is an absolute rarity! complicated pocket watches, automatons and music boxes and was the most important Geneva manufacturer for the Chinese market. Most works are combined with musical works or automatons. A “Grande & Petit Sonnerie” with a movement by Piguet & Meylan is an absolute rarity!
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Trip repeater
A trip repeater is a type of watch complication that chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand when a pusher is activated. The difference between a trip repeater and a regular repeater is that the trip repeater also includes a mechanism that allows the wearer to set a desired time interval, and the watch will then chime the number of hours and quarters that have passed since that interval. Essentially, the trip repeater is a more complex version of the regular repeater, offering additional functionality and convenience for the wearer.