Swiss rose gold quarter repeating musical watch Circa 1820

Gold open faced musical repeating cylinder watch by Piguet & Meylan
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A rare Swiss gentleman’s quarter repeating musical watch with music playing on the hour or at will, circa 1820.
18 carat rose gold engine turned case with slide for activating the musical movement at “6”; gilt dome with lever for “silence” at “9” and case maker’s punch mark “GF” (probably G. Fontaine). Enamel dial with radial Roman hours and blued Breguet hands. Bridge movement, keywind, frosted and gilt, with two going barrels, cylinder escapement, three-arm gold ring balance, Piguet & Meylan’s double sided pinned-disc musical mechanism (sur plateau) with vibrating blades acting on both sides of the disc mirror-polished and bevelled levers for musical movement.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Weight: 135 g
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Signed: J. D. Piguet et Meylan à Genève
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The “sur plateau” musical arrangement, as found in this watch, was invented by Philippe Meylan and was used mostly by the Piguet & Meylan firm. The blades are laid out at acircle’s segment at equal intervals, and move progressively inward toward the centre of the disc. The stiffer blades, playing the higher notes, are acted upon by the pins near the centre of the disc. The lower notes are played by longer blades engaging pins set nearer the periphery of the disc. This arrangement equalizes the resistance of the blades and assures constant tempo. The number of the blades varies between 16 and 27, and usually several notes are duplicated.
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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 was well known for the production of early “China-watches” and 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.