Piguet et Meylan Le Jardin de Cupidon Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1820
This 18k pink gold manual-wind open-face pocket watch is attributed to Piguet et Meylan, Geneva, circa 1820. Named "Le Jardin de Cupidon," the timepiece features an enamel dial with a classical garden scene incorporating four automaton actions.
Two applied multicoloured gold cherubs rest upon urns to strike the hours and quarters on bells, while a seated man playing the lyre and a cherub striking a triangle operate below. The watch is equipped with a caliber 23''' gilt movement, utilizing going barrels for the timekeeping and musical trains, a cylinder escapement, and a brass three-arm balance with flat balance spring. The "sur plateau" musical mechanism features 29 tuned steel teeth.
The case carries the "IE" master mark, attributed to a maker supplying Piguet & Meylan. The piece includes a silence/musique lever located under the cuvette.
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
- Quarter-repeating musical automaton pocket watch
- Maker
- Attributable to Piguet et Meylan
- Diameter
- 58 mm
- Escapement
- Cylinder
- Case material
- 18k pink gold
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Case maker mark
- IE
- Movement serial
- 11795
- Musical movement
- 29 tuned steel teeth
- Maker / attribution
- Piguet et Meylan
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is housed in an 18k pink gold case with a diameter of 58 mm, featuring an engine-turned band. The interior of the back cover displays the master mark "IE," identified as a case maker known for supplying Piguet & Meylan. The enamel dial depicts a classical garden scene, serving as the backdrop for the automaton mechanism. Four automaton actions are integrated into the scene. Two multicoloured gold cherubs are positioned atop urns, acting as strikers for the hour and quarter-hour bells. Below them, the scene includes a seated man playing a lyre and an additional cherub striking a triangle. The hands are recorded by the auction house as later additions.
- Visible features
- • Painted enamel dial with applied multicoloured gold automata • Four distinct automaton figures interacting with bells, lyre, and triangle • Silence/musique lever positioned beneath the cuvette • Engine-turned decorative case band
- Signatures and Identification
- The watch displays inconsistent numbering and signatures. The movement and the case are consistently stamped with the serial number 11795. However, the cuvette features an alternative, apocryphal signature accompanied by the number 20112, which contradicts the numbers found on the case and movement. The watch is attributed to the firm Piguet et Meylan, consistent with the model name "Le Jardin de Cupidon." The auction house explicitly identifies the signature on the cuvette as apocryphal, distinguishing it from the production marks found elsewhere on the timepiece.
- Movement and Musical Mechanism
- The watch is powered by a gilt 23''' caliber movement. It employs two going barrels, one dedicated to the timekeeping train and one to the musical train. The regulation of the escapement is handled by a cylinder escapement, a brass three-arm balance, and an index regulator. The balance, escape wheel, and third wheel are jeweled. The musical functionality is provided by a "sur plateau" arrangement featuring 29 tuned steel teeth, which strike against a pinned disc. Control over the musical train is managed by a lever located beneath the cuvette, allowing the user to switch between silent and musical operation.
Identification
- Serial number
- 11795
- 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: The cuvette bears an apocryphal signature and number 20112
- Research required: Movement and case are numbered 11795
- Research required: The auction description reports the hands are later