Double-bladed pocket-knife with integrated watch and music
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1805-1815
This 18K yellow gold, enamel, and pearl-set pocket-knife contains an integrated watch and a musical mechanism. Attributable to the Genevan workshops of Piguet & Capt or Piguet & Meylan, the object was manufactured for the Chinese market.
The white enamel dial features suspended Breguet numerals and blued steel hands. The gold casing is embellished with sky-blue champlevé enamel, floral motifs, urns, and half-pearls, while the back panel displays a polychrome enamel plaque of birds and fruit. Two folding blades are provided, one in steel for cutting and one in gold for peeling fruit. The oblong movement consists of a cylinder escapement, gilded brass plates, a going barrel, and a pin-barrel musical mechanism with four vibrating blades.
The watch and musical movement are wound via squares revealed by a sliding panel on the front. This is one of a limited number of such mechanical knives documented.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Musical pocket-knife watch
- Year
- circa 1805-1815
- Market
- Chinese market
- Material
- 18K yellow gold, enamel and pearls
- Condition
- Very good
- Escapement
- Cylinder
- Dial Features
- White enamel with suspended Breguet numerals
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Maker Attribution
- Piguet & Capt or Piguet & Meylan
- Musical Mechanism
- Pin-barrel with four vibrating blades
- Maker / attribution
- Piguet & Capt or Piguet & Meylan
Design
- Visible features
- • Integrated watch dial with suspended Arabic numerals • Two folding knife blades, one steel and one gold • Case exterior adorned with champlevé enamel and half-pearls • Sliding panel on the knife body housing winding squares
- Case and External Decoration
- The object functions as a luxury pocket-knife with dual folding blades, one steel and one gold, intended for handling fruit. The exterior of the gold mount is decorated with intricate taille-douce engraving and sky-blue champlevé enamel featuring urns and floral patterns. Half-pearls are set along the edges and decorative elements of the casing. The back panel displays a polychrome enamel plaque over a pink ground, depicting birds and fruit. A sliding section on the front allows access to the watch dial, which is finished in white enamel with suspended Breguet numerals, as well as the winding squares required for the timekeeping and musical mechanisms.
- Movement and Musical Mechanism
- The movement is contained within an oblong, roughly rectangular housing composed of gilded brass plates. It utilizes a cylinder escapement with a steel wheel and a monometallic three-arm balance. Timekeeping regulation is managed via a polished steel index-regulator, and the assembly is powered by a going barrel. The musical function is achieved through a pinned cylinder mechanism, consistent with the invention by Antoine Favre-Salomon. It features four vibrating blades arranged to play a single melody, which is released by a dedicated catch located on the case.
- Provenance and Historical Context
- This object belongs to a small group of luxury musical pocket-knives produced in Geneva during the early 19th century for the export market. These novelties were popular among wealthy Chinese clientele during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, following established trade channels through Guangzhou. The auction description notes its attribution to either Piguet & Capt or Piguet & Meylan, both of which were notable for their specialization in musical and automaton movements.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Attribution shared between two potential partnerships
- Research required: Exact production date is estimated within a ten-year range