Louis Audemars. A fine, large and very unusual 18K pink gold openface two train quarter hour and striking musical clockwatch

SIGNED LOUIS AUDEMARS AU BRASSUS, CIRCA 1850/1860

細節

Louis Audemars. A fine, large and very unusual 18K pink gold openface two train quarter hour and striking musical clockwatch
Signed Louis Audemars au Brassus, circa 1850/1860
With gilt-finished two train cylinder movement, bimetallic compensation balance, bimetallic compensation curb on the regulator, quarter repeating and en passant hour striking on two polished steel hammers onto a gong, musical pin barrel activated by a sliding lever in the band, gold cuvette, the white enamel dial with Roman numerals, gold moon-style hands, in engine-turned circular case, repeating activated by depressing a button in the pendant, music and striking stop/start levers underneath the cuvette, cuvette signed
61 mm. diam.

拍品專文

The present watch is certainly one of Louis Audemars' most unusual creations. The ébauche dates to 1830 approximately, whereas the design and case finish are more in the 1850/1860 style. One can safely assume that Louis Audemars were not the manufacturers of the movement, but finished, cased and signed it. The bimetallic compensation balance, for example, was also added when the ébauche was finished at Audemars workshops.

It is therefore not surprising that this watch is not numbered, as most likely never part of their standard production, but more intended to preserve a complex movement and to challenge its master watchmakers. Alternatively, it may have also been destined for one of the many international exhibitions at which Louis Audemars successfully participated.

Furthermore and to the best of our knowlege, the present watch is the only known example of a musical clockwatch by Louis Audemars.