Swiss unusual small gold musical automaton watch Circa 1815

Vari color gold musical automaton watch
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A rare Swiss unusual small vari colour gold, enamel ruby and emerald set basket form musical automaton watch, ‘The Serenade’ case by Freres Oltramere, circa 1815, gilt cylinder movement, two trains for time, automaton and music, the case formed as a basket with vari colour gold case entirely chased in wicker pattern, the case band with panels of gold alternating with ruby set columns, the back decorated en suite centred by an emerald and ruby-set patera the surround composed of  woven panels alternating with graduated ruby set spokes, slide at 5 o’clock to stop start music and automaton, case with case makers mark FO, Freres Oltramare, small white enamel dial at 12 o’clock roman numerals, below applied with vari coloured gold automated figures of a lady strumming a harp and a boy playing a lyre, whilst a dog looks on at the lady’s feet, all against a polychrome enamel architectural lake scene, the bezel set with rondels of rubies.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Signed: Piguet & Meylan
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The firm Piguet & Meylan was formed by Isaac-Daniel Piguet and Philippe Samuel Meylan in 1811. Piguet was born at Le Chenet in 1775. He settled in Geneva and became Burgher in 1812, one year after he had gone into partnership with Philippe Samuel Meylan to undertake the ‘manufacture of watches, jewellery and mechanisms of all kinds.’ Piguet specialized in complex watches with carillons and clock watches. Meylan was born in le Brassus in 1772 and is credited with adapting ‘tongues of sonorous metal for the combs of musical movement suitable for watches and other small objects.’ Of his many creations, the magician’s box and the barking dog watch are two of the most regarded.

This watch also bears the maker’s marks of Freres Oltramere. The case for is of note due to the shape and texture, resembling a wide basket. It is additionally adorned with an array of rubies and emeralds, and no angle of the case goes without attention to detail. The brothers Louis-David-Benjamin Oltramare, born 30 August 1781 and Jean-Hugues Oltramare, born 2 February 1786, were both trained as ‘monteurs de boîtes en or’ (makers of gold watch cases). Coming from a family of artisans with a horological background, they worked together in an informal association and entered a maker’s mark as the Frères Oltramare in 1810/11. When Geneva was liberated from French occupation and they re registered the same mark on 4 November 1815, their workshop was at rue de Coutance 82. The association was dissolved on 31 March 1826.