1864 14K Gold Antique Minute Repeater Pocket Watch – Automaton Enamel Dial – Mechanical Chime – Manual Wind – Rare Collector Piece

1864 Antique 14K Gold Automaton Minute Repeater Pocket Watch – Hand-Painted Enamel Dial – Mechanical Animation – AVANCE/RETARD – Manual Wind

A museum-worthy 19th-century French repeater with full-color enamel artistry and rare automaton complication.

A remarkable survivor of 19th-century European watchmaking, this 1864 antique minute-repeater pocket watch, crafted in solid 14K gold, features a breathtaking hand-painted enamel dial depicting classical figures and rich decorative motifs. Adding to its rarity, this piece includes a mechanical automaton synchronized with the repeater mechanism — an extraordinary combination even in the finest antique horology collections.

With complex chiming functions, painted enamel artistry, and mechanical animation, this watch stands as an exceptional artifact for collectors of grand complication pocket watches.

❤️ DESCRIPTION

This antique 1864 14K gold minute repeater pocket watch represents the pinnacle of mid-19th-century horological craftsmanship. Encased in warm solid gold and adorned with a vividly hand-painted enamel dial, the watch reflects the era’s fascination with classical themes and decorative miniature art.

The dial itself is a centerpiece of artistry: vibrant pink fields, richly detailed figures, and a royal blue subsidiary time display with gold Roman numerals, all preserved with impressive depth and color. Beneath the enamel lies the mechanical complexity of a minute repeater, capable of striking the hours, quarters, and minutes at the activation of the slide.

Even more remarkable is the automaton (からくり) mechanism, which animates a figure when the repeater is engaged — a highly desirable and historically significant complication rarely preserved in functional antique examples.

The AVANCE/RETARD regulator notation confirms French-Swiss technical lineage typical of the 1800s. While working condition is not guaranteed due to age (per listing note), the mechanical levers and repeating slider reportedly activate properly.

This piece is an important example for collectors of enamel pocket watches, automata, repeaters, and pre-industrial grand complication timekeepers.

✨ HIGHLIGHTS & FEATURES

• 1864 antique minute repeater pocket watch.

• Full 14K yellow gold case.

• Fully hand-painted enamel dial with vivid classical motifs.

• Mechanical automaton activated with the repeater.

• Manual-wind movement with chiming complications.

• AVANCE/RETARD regulator (French-Swiss heritage).

• Complex lever mechanisms functioning per listing note.

• Rare 19th-century collectible with artistic and horological importance.

📎 ITEM DETAILS

Category: Antique Minute Repeater Pocket Watch
Era: 1864 (19th century)
Case Material: 14K Yellow Gold
Dial: Hand-painted enamel
Complications: Minute Repeater, Automaton
Movement: Manual Wind
Regulator: AVANCE / RETARD
Accessories: Watch only (no box or papers)
Condition Notes:

• Antique piece with age-related marks.

• Repeater levers reportedly functional.

• Working accuracy not guaranteed due to age.

💗 CONDITION REPORT

Condition Grade: Antique (with visible wear)

Case:

• 14K gold with age marks, fine scratches, and handling wear.

• Hinged covers open and close with normal antique character.

Dial:

• Hand-painted enamel with excellent color retention.

• Minor age-consistent imperfections may be present.

Movement / Repeater:

• Manual wind movement not guaranteed for accuracy.

• Repeater and mechanical levers reportedly activate.

• Antique condition expected for 160-year-old horology.

Automaton:

• Activates with the repeater according to seller notes.

This is a collectible antique item sold as-is due to its age and mechanical complexity.

🌍 WHY COLLECTORS WANT THIS PIECE

• Minute repeaters from the 1800s are highly sought after.

• Hand-painted enamel dials are rare and require master artistry.

• Automaton (karakuri) complications are exceptionally scarce.

• 14K gold case adds intrinsic and collectible value.

• Mid-19th-century repeaters have strong global auction performance.

• Ideal for advanced collectors of antique complications and enamel watches.

• A museum-grade horological artifact with historical importance.

🏛 19th-CENTURY ENAMEL & REPEATER HERITAGE

During the 1800s, Swiss and French workshops produced some of the world’s most extraordinary mechanical watches—combining repeating mechanisms, automata, and miniature enamel painting. These pieces were often commissioned for nobility and wealthy patrons, celebrated for their artistic refinement and mechanical ingenuity.

This 1864 example is emblematic of the era’s grand tradition, blending precious metal craft, animation, and chiming complications into one sophisticated object of art.

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