Swiss silver Oignon with automaton and erotic painting Circa 1700

Silver glazed verge pocket watch, possibly by Mussard
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A rare Swiss Oignon with erotic enamel painting and automaton, Circa 1700. The watch has a silver case with glazed sides and a back that shows the enamel plaque and the automaton above it. The enamel painting is of very fine quality and depicts an excellently preserved erotic scene. It was very likely created by the workshop of Jean (V) Mussard (1681-1754) in Geneva. Above the enamel plaque, the automaton moves, driven by the balance wheel. The original mechanism was fitted with a fly or other insect that flew back and forth above the lady’s head, but the fly is currently missing. Jean Robert Michel signed the movement. The watch also features an original champlevé dial with the same signature, Roman radial hours, an outer minutes track with Arabic five-minute numerals and gilt Louis XV-style hands. The minute hand has been restored.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Weight: 134 g
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Signed: Jean Robert Michel
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This rare watch is of museum quality and one of the rarest versions of an Oignon. Only a few examples are known to exist that feature this automaton. The enamel painting is of the highest Mussard quality produced during that time. Another Oignon with an enamel painting and the same signature can be found in the Orlean Museum.