FRÈRES ROCHATA MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL SINGING BIRD WATCH MADE FOR THE TURKISH MARKETCIRCA 1820, NO. 268 gilded movement, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm gold balance, stamped FR within an oval cartouche for Frères Rochat, the singing bird mechanism pump wound via the pendant and with locking slide to inner bezel within case back, the bellows and bird song controlled via a sliding stack of eight cams, the top four controlling the singing valves stepped through four revolutions per play, further fixed cams for controlling the movement of the bird, white enamel dial, Turkish numerals and outer minute ring, dial signed Breguet et Fils, gold case, bezels decorated with opaque turquoise and translucent red guilloché enamel, the pendant and bow decorated en suite, case back with polychrome enamel painted scene of battleships exchanging fire with a town to the foreground and mountains against a setting sun in the background, the band and bezels further enamelled with flowers and foliage, the case back opening to reveal a fixed cuvette with central hinged circular panel polychrome enamel painted with trophies of music against a translucent pink guilloché enamel ground, the panel opening upon depression of the pendant to reveal a bird-shaped reserve surrounded by a gold plate enamelled with a blue feather design, the singing bird rising from the reserve with vibrantly coloured plumage, the surrounding cuvette with polychrome enamel painted floral wreath upon an opaque turquoise enamel ground and outer translucent red guilloché enamel wave-form border, inside case back polychrome enamel painted with trophies of war against a translucent red guilloché enamel ground, bordered with opaque white and turquoise enamel, case maker's mark DB within a lozenge for Dupont & Bonnet diameter 63mmCondition ReportMovement: not running at the time of cataloguing. The singing bird not functioning. Was likely last restored by the prior owner Seth Atwood Founder of the Time Museum in Rockford, Illinois,in 1982, copy of a restoration report available upon request carried out at that time CASE:In superb original condition. The enamel showing very few signs of wear, some light surface scratches to the rear scene, but does not distort the scene itself. The red flower to the right of the pendant with some minimal loss. Some scratching to the inside bezel beneath the crystal on the dial side from where screws have been removed and put back. Enamels to the inside back in very good condition with not signs of loss. DIAL: in very good condition, no visible hairlines or damage. Some very light spots of discolouration only visible under magnification and raking light. Some light speckling to the lower half, barely discernible with the naked eye "
FRÈRES ROCHATA MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL SINGING BIRD WATCH MADE FOR THE TURKISH MARKETCIRCA 1820, NO. 268 gilded movement, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm gold balance, stamped FR within an oval cartouche for Frères Rochat, the singing bird mechanism pump wound via the pendant and with locking slide to inner bezel within case back, the bellows and bird song controlled via a sliding stack of eight cams, the top four controlling the singing valves stepped through four revolutions per play, further fixed cams for controlling the movement of the bird, white enamel dial, Turkish numerals and outer minute ring, dial signed Breguet et Fils, gold case, bezels decorated with opaque turquoise and translucent red guilloché enamel, the pendant and bow decorated en suite, case back with polychrome enamel painted scene of battleships exchanging fire with a town to the foreground and mountains against a setting sun in the background, the band and bezels further enamelled with flowers and foliage, the case back opening to reveal a fixed cuvette with central hinged circular panel polychrome enamel painted with trophies of music against a translucent pink guilloché enamel ground, the panel opening upon depression of the pendant to reveal a bird-shaped reserve surrounded by a gold plate enamelled with a blue feather design, the singing bird rising from the reserve with vibrantly coloured plumage, the surrounding cuvette with polychrome enamel painted floral wreath upon an opaque turquoise enamel ground and outer translucent red guilloché enamel wave-form border, inside case back polychrome enamel painted with trophies of war against a translucent red guilloché enamel ground, bordered with opaque white and turquoise enamel, case maker's mark DB within a lozenge for Dupont & Bonnet diameter 63mmCondition ReportMovement: not running at the time of cataloguing. The singing bird not functioning. Was likely last restored by the prior owner Seth Atwood Founder of the Time Museum in Rockford, Illinois,in 1982, copy of a restoration report available upon request carried out at that time CASE:In superb original condition. The enamel showing very few signs of wear, some light surface scratches to the rear scene, but does not distort the scene itself. The red flower to the right of the pendant with some minimal loss. Some scratching to the inside bezel beneath the crystal on the dial side from where screws have been removed and put back. Enamels to the inside back in very good condition with not signs of loss. DIAL: in very good condition, no visible hairlines or damage. Some very light spots of discolouration only visible under magnification and raking light. Some light speckling to the lower half, barely discernible with the naked eye "
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
