Lot Essay
Piguet and Meylan was a very interesting partnership. Both, I.D. Piguet and P.S. Meylan, independently succesful and adventurous joined up in 1811 and stayed together for over seventeen years until 1828.
Isaac-Daniel Piguet was born in Chenit (Vaud) in 1775 and after marrying J.F. Capt in 1795 settled in Geneva were he became a citizen in 1812. He was known for his elaborate and complicated watches including musical complications, automatons, mechanical children toys and mechanical dogs. Before joining up with P.S. Meylan, Piguet was in association with Henri-Daniel Capt (Henry Capt) from 1802 to 1811.
Piguet was known to be very friendly with Louis Courvoisier and they apparently also had some business connections.
Philippe-Samuel Meylan was born in 1772 in Bas-du-Chenit (Vaud) and after a first attempt finally settled in Geneva in 1811 where he joined his fellow villiger D.I. Piguet and founded the company Piguet & Meylan. P.S. Meylan brought a great knowledge on making automatons and singing birds as well as mechanical animalia including strikingly realistic mice. One other interesting invention of his seems to be the ring watch that releases a little thorn at the full hour.
It is said that an entire shipment of automaton and mechanical creations by Meylan was sent to China but was shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean.
Bringing with them high watchmaking skills and some connection to the Chinese export it seems quite logical that Piguet & Meylan as a partnership developed a name that is mentioned in association with the most magnificent pieces destined for the Chinese Market together with Jaquet-Droz.
Isaac-Daniel Piguet was born in Chenit (Vaud) in 1775 and after marrying J.F. Capt in 1795 settled in Geneva were he became a citizen in 1812. He was known for his elaborate and complicated watches including musical complications, automatons, mechanical children toys and mechanical dogs. Before joining up with P.S. Meylan, Piguet was in association with Henri-Daniel Capt (Henry Capt) from 1802 to 1811.
Piguet was known to be very friendly with Louis Courvoisier and they apparently also had some business connections.
Philippe-Samuel Meylan was born in 1772 in Bas-du-Chenit (Vaud) and after a first attempt finally settled in Geneva in 1811 where he joined his fellow villiger D.I. Piguet and founded the company Piguet & Meylan. P.S. Meylan brought a great knowledge on making automatons and singing birds as well as mechanical animalia including strikingly realistic mice. One other interesting invention of his seems to be the ring watch that releases a little thorn at the full hour.
It is said that an entire shipment of automaton and mechanical creations by Meylan was sent to China but was shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean.
Bringing with them high watchmaking skills and some connection to the Chinese export it seems quite logical that Piguet & Meylan as a partnership developed a name that is mentioned in association with the most magnificent pieces destined for the Chinese Market together with Jaquet-Droz.