FRÈRES ROCHAT | A MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL SINGING BIRD WATCH MADE FOR THE TURKISH MARKET CIRCA 1820, NO. 268

FRÈRES ROCHAT

A MAGNIFICENT AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GOLD AND ENAMEL SINGING BIRD WATCH MADE FOR THE TURKISH MARKET

CIRCA 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 63mm