Swiss. A fine, rare and large 18K pink gold and enamel openface two-train quarter repeating watch with musical barillet-type pinned cylinder

The present watch is fitted with the rare barillet-type movement with a rotating pinned cylinder as opposed to the more often used "sur plateau" movement with a flat rotating disc (see the next lot in this auction). Although requiring more space and hence a more voluminous case, the pinned cylinder movement is more robust and generates a richer tone.

The barillet-type movement with pinned cylinder was invented by the watchmaker Antoine Favre-Salomon in Geneva in 1796. He replaced the stack of bells in use at the time by a comb with multiple pre- tuned notes. Together with a horizontally placed pinned barrel this system generates more varied and complex sounds.