'THE KITCHEN' SWISS | A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL WATCH WITH AUTOMATON DEPICTING A KITCHEN SCENE ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE-SIMON GOUNOUILHOU, GENEVA CIRCA 1820

'THE KITCHEN'

SWISS

A RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL WATCH WITH AUTOMATON DEPICTING A KITCHEN SCENE ATTRIBUTED TO PIERRE-SIMON GOUNOUILHOU, GENEVA

CIRCA 1820

gilded full plate movement, verge escapement, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, automaton driven by a separate spring barrel and train driving the automaton by means of cams and levers, time dial white enamel, Arabic numerals, outer minute ring, separate apertures for winding going and automaton trains, gold case, the back with polychrome enamel painted harbour scene in the manner of Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) depicting three sailing ships, a fishing boat in the foreground with two fishermen aboard and a lady standing on the shore in the foreground, a further man and a lady to the left, the man with a fishing rod, classical buildings to the right and mountains in the distance, champlevé enamel border, the front bezel pearl-set, lever at 5 o'clock for operating the automaton scene, regulation arm between 2 and 3 o'clock, the back opening to reveal the polychrome enamel painted and vari-colour gold automaton kitchen scene, a seated lady spins her yarn, her left arm moving and her leg operating a pedal to turn her spinning wheel whilst two chickens turn upon a spit roasting in front of the fire, above a dog runs inside a wheel to power the spit jack, at the right water runs from a fountain, below a vari-coloured gold scene depicts a child sitting next to the fountain and a dog plays with a cat by a basket of vegetables

diameter 60mm