Swiss repeating musical watch with automaton Circa 1815

Gold enamel pocket watch for the Chinese market by Piguet et Meylan
–
A Swiss magnificent and very fine gold enamel gentleman’s pocket watch with quarter repeater, musical movement and automaton; studded with half pearls and produced for the Chinese market, circa 1815.
18 carat gold case, midsection with bezels, pendant and bow studded with half pearls. Back with very fine polychrome enamel medallion: Swiss lakes at sunset with boats and a fortress against a mountain range; exquisitely engine-turned base with translucent enamelling. Dome with polychrome enamelling and automaton: lady with a harp and young man with a lute in the garden of a classical building. Pusher for repetition with engine-turned ornamentation and translucent red enamelling, slide for musical movement and silence.
Gold engine-turned dial with radial Roman numerals, centre seconds and gold Fleur-de-Lys hands. Bridge movement, musical movement with pinned disc and 22 tuned vibrating blades, firegilt, with 2 hammers, 2 gongs, 2 barrels, keywind, cylinder escapement, mirror-polished and bevelled levers for musical movement and three-arm ring balance.
–
Diameter: 58 mm
–
Weight: 138 g
–
Signed: Piguet et Meylan à Brassus
–
J.D. Piguet et S. Meylan à Genève
Piguet was an expert craftsman who produced his watches in partnership with Henry Capt and Philippe Samuel Meylan, and later also with his sons. Philippe Samuel Meylan came to Geneva at the age of 20 to work for Audemars Frères. He opened his own workshop near Le Brassus in 1811, but returned to Geneva later. He met Piguet and formed the partnership with him; they worked in Geneva under the name “Piguet & Meylan” from 1811 to 1828. The company became famous for its pocket watches with special functions; they created automatons with man and animal shapes and intricate musical mechanisms as well as skeleton watches.