Beschreibung:

SWISS. AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT 18K GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET KEYWOUND MUSICAL WATCH WITH FOUR FIGURE AUTOMATA, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
UNSIGNED, ATTRIBUTED TO DU BOIS ET FILS, "THE THEATRE", CIRCA 1800
SWISS. AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT 18K GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET KEYWOUND MUSICAL WATCH WITH FOUR FIGURE AUTOMATA, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET UNSIGNED, ATTRIBUTED TO DU BOIS ET FILS, "THE THEATRE", CIRCA 1800 Keywound full plate gilt finished movement, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm brass balance, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, winding aperture between 8 and 9 o'clock for the time and a second aperture at 4 o'clock for winding the music and automata, large circular case, pearl-set bezels, band finely decorated with rectangular panels of translucent royal blue enamel over engine-turned ground with gold patterned borders, back finely decorated with a polychrome enamel scene of the Jura mountains with a lakeside castle and surrounding village, centred by a pagoda-like theatre of chased vari-coloured gold with statues of neo-classical dressed women painted in grisaille enamel, flanked by vari-coloured gold automated musicians of a lady on the right playing a harp and a gentleman to the left beating time to the music, four further colourfully enamelled figures dancing in time to the music, moving forward towards one another and then apart back to the corners of the stage, on a revolving stage with mirrored walls under a multi-coloured ceiling, music and automata activated by a lever in the band, unsigned 62 mm. diam.