Piguet & Meylan

The case back panel has been restored/re-painted in the 20th Century and the scene most likely represents the crowning of Homer. A similar but original scene attributed to Jean-Abraham Lissignol can be found on a gold and enamel box by Jean-George Rémond (see: Antiquorum Geneva, 11 May 2019, lot 34). Despite the restoration to the panel, the watch displays many of the sumptuous design elements for which Piguet & Meylan's watches - especially those made for the Chinese market - are so admired.

The firm of Piguet & Meylan was formed in 1811 by Daniel Isaac Piguet (1775-1841) and Philippe-Samuel Meylan (1772-1845). It was a partnership that would last until 1828. Piguet was born at Chenit in the Vallée de Joux and he later settled in Geneva where he became a Burgher in 1812, one year after he had entered into partnership with Philippe Samuel Meylan to undertake the 'manufacture of watches, jewellery and mechanisms of all kinds' [see: E. Jaquet & A. Chapuis, Technique and History of the Swiss Watch, 1970 edition, p.149]. Piguet specialized in complex watches with carillons and clock watches. Meylan was born at Bas-du-Chenit and is credited with adapting 'tongues' of sonorous metal for the combs of musical movements suitable for watches and other small objects [see op.cit.]. Many advances in the creation of very small and extra thin movements for watches, musical boxes and automata of the most refined sort are credited to Piguet & Meylan, as well as the invention of the sur-plateau musical movement. The automata produced by the firm are considered to be among the finest ever made and include singing birds, barking dogs and even magicians who could 'answer' a series of questions. Examples of Piguet & Meylan's work can be found in many of the world's foremost collections, including the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Sandoz Collection.