86,250 CHF
“The Woodcutters” Bordier & Roux et Cie, Genève, No. 10569. The movement and automaton Inventé par Antoine Rojard à Genève. Made in 1802. Extremely fine and rare, 18K gold and enamel, quarter repeating pocket watch with automaton scene, and special movement with special escapement. Two-body, “Directoire”, polished, Mastermark CL, the band pierced with sound slots. Small, white enamel with Breguet numerals, outer minute track and Arabic quarter-hour numerals. Blued steel Breguet hands. Very finely painted enamel scene of a woodcutter’s hut in a river landscape, applied multicoloured gold figures of the kneeling woodcutters using a steel band-saw to cut a log, to the left a man up a ladder chopping a tree with an axe, to the right a fountain, above two flying cherubs holding torches and appearing to strike two bells. 46 mm., frosted gilt, crescent shaped backplate with two bells sunk into the movement, flared cylindrical pillars, going barrel, virgule escapement, three-arm balance, flat blued steel balance spring, index regulator. Movement signed and numbered, case numbered. Dial scratch signed on the reverse: Ante. Rojard a Geneve, L’an 1802. Scratch signed on the movement below the barrel: Invente L’an 1802, Rojard a Geneve. Bell scratch signed: Cheneviere. Diam. 59 mm. Notes The unusual automaton scene depicted in the present watch is particularly clever in that it visually makes use of the sound of the repeating mechanism fly as it whirrs around, the sound being very
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2005-10-16
