Bordier & LeRoy. A very fine 18K pink gold openface quarter repeating watch with two jaquemarts and an automaton scene

SIGNED FRES BORDIER À GENÈVE, CASE NO. 8880 AND 18710, MOVEMENT SIGNED LEROY, MOVEMENT NO. 71643, CIRCA 1820

Details

Bordier & LeRoy. A very fine 18K pink gold openface quarter repeating watch with two jaquemarts and an automaton scene
Signed Fres Bordier à Genève, case no. 8880 and 18710, movement signed LeRoy, movement no. 71643, circa 1820
Gilt-finished full plate cylinder movement, pierced and finely engraved balance cock, repeating on two hammers, gilt cuvette, gilt dial, Arabic numerals on white enamel circle, outer five minute divisions on white enamel chapter ring, automaton scene depicting two putti striking on Father Time, engraved cornucopias and theater scene, circular engine-turned case, repeating activated through the pendant, pending locking lever in the ribbed band, cuvette and movement signed and numbered
58.4 mm. diam.

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Lot Essay

Referring to the Medieval way of announcing the public time, this automaton has a particularly rare design as the scene is presented as a theater scene. During the Medieval time, real people were taking care of striking the public time every hour on a bell situated at the top of the city tower. Later, this was taken care by life-size automaton called Jaquemarts. These automatons, on top of telling the time, were also aimed at amusing the public through their performance.

A practically identical watch, retailed by Frères Esquivillon is known from the famous Sandoz Collection housed in Le Locle Chateau des Monts Museum.

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