Roman Bordier & Cie

Roman Bordier & Cie. , No. 20935, (Geneva), almost certainly produced by Henry Capt, circa 1815. Very fine and rare 18K gold quarter repeating musical automaton watch. Three body, Empire with reeded band, the back finely chased with a pastoral scene depicting a young boy playing the flute for a shepherdess sitting in a landscape with lambs. Small gold eccentric with Breguet numerals on a polished chapter ring, the centre engraved with a rosette. Blued steel "spade " hand with gold tips. The enamelled dial plate painted with a landscape (slightly restored on the border) and applied on the foreground with a fine varicoloured gold automaton scene depicting a couple in classical dress playing the lyre while a seated lady weaves a crown of flowers. Gilt brass, Lepine calibre with going barrels, cylinder escapement, plain brass three - arm balance, fiat balance spring with regulator, diamond end-stone. Musical train with pin-drum and a stack of six teeth. A steel cam, screwed on the top of the pin-drum drives the movements of the three automata. Signed on the cuvette. In very good condition. Diam. 60 mm. Notes This very fine watch illustrates the ultimate development of Henry Capt' s production. Full plate in its early production, the movement is now of Lepine's type, but still retains the pin-drum musical train, while most of the other Geneva makers were using the pin-disc or the pin-cylinder. The pin-drum musical train, as always used by Henry Capt, is illustrated in Ree Read more…