A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 1
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 2
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 3
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 4
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 5
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 6
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 7
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE - photo 8

A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE

Starting price
$ 400 000
Auction dateClassic
27.01.2023 12:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 887745
Lot 17 | A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE
A RARE SWISS VARI-COLOR GOLD, ENAMEL, AND PEARL-SET MUSICAL AUTOMATON AND TIMEPIECE LONGUE-VUE

MARK OF SENÉ & NEISER, (FL. 1805-1808), GENEVA, CIRCA 1805; THE TIMEPIECE SIGNED PUY’ ROCHE, THE AUTOMATON ATTRIBUTED TO PIGUET & CAPT, GENEVA, CIRCA 1805

The cylindrical body formed of four rectangular panels enameled in translucent and opaque royal blue, red, green, white and pale blue on engine-turned ground, depicting trophies of love with a couple of doves perched on a column flanked by leafy branches and urns draped with floral boughs, the panels interspersed with vertical gold bands chased with beaded laurel leaves, and between borders of running foliage and half-pearls, the shoulders with leafy fronds linked by cornflower blue scrolls, the extending scope with stylized leaftips, the side panels rotate to expose the concealed timepiece above an enameled panel depicting a coat-of-arms against a military trophy, the panels open to reveal an automaton scene depicting in the foreground a fixed vari-color gold lighthouse, pine tree, barrel and anchor, against an enameled seascape with revolving glass waterfall, similarly on rotating glass waves sail junk boats, single and three-masted sailing ships, canoe rowers, and swimming swans, the movement enclosed entirely within the circumference of the scope, extending scope with maker’s mark pellet S pellet N pellet in a lozenge, scope and shoulder rim lightly notch-numbered 3, timepiece bezel signed PUY' ROCHE, with associated key

3 1/8 in. (77 mm.) long, closed





Literature

Chapuis, Alfred, and Droz, Edmond, Les Automates, Neufchatel, 1949, figs. 220, 221.

Chapuis, Alfred., Histoire de la Boîte à Musique, Lausanne, 1955, p. 170 opp.

Antique Automatons, A La Vieille Russie, New York, 1950, no. 144.



Exhibited

New York, Antique Automatons, A La Vieille Russie, 1950, no. 144.

New York, Mechanical Wonders: The Sandoz Collection, A La Vieille Russie, 26 October-26 November 2011, no. 42.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
21.01.2023 – 26.01.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.