Daniel Moilliet 'Paris and Helen' Enamel Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1790
This circa 1790 pocket watch by the Geneva-based clockmaker Daniel Moilliet features a high degree of artistic decoration. The two-body 'Directoire' gold case displays an enamel miniature, attributed to J-L.
Richter, depicting Paris and Helen in a classical garden setting. The scene is executed over sunburst engine-turning on imperial blue translucent enamel, further adorned with a temple motif using paillons and half-pearls, while the bezel is also set with half-pearls. The white enamel dial is uniquely configured with an eccentric hour chapter and a visible aperture for a six-armed balance set with rose-cut diamonds. The movement is a 44.1 mm diameter hinged, gilt-brass full plate construction featuring a cylinder escapement and fixed barrel.
The watch is signed on the movement and has been documented in the Sandberg book, pages 162-163.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- circa 1790
- Dial
- White enamel with eccentric numerals
- Type
- Centre-seconds pocket watch with visible balance
- Maker
- Daniel Moilliet
- Balance
- Visible, rose-cut diamond-set six-armed balance
- Movement
- Gilt brass full plate
- Literature
- Sandberg book
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Case Decoration
- Imperial blue enamel and half-pearls
- Maker / attribution
- Daniel Moilliet
Design
- Visible features
- • Eccentric hour display with Arabic numerals in the lower portion of the dial • Balance wheel visible through a top aperture oscillating over a polished steel plate • Bezel and case back decoration featuring multiple half-pearls • Gold 'beetle' style hands
- Case and Enamel Work
- The watch is housed in a two-body 'Directoire' gold case. The reverse is decorated with a miniature enamel painting depicting Paris and Helen, situated within a classical garden environment. The work is set against a translucent imperial blue enamel ground applied over engine-turned sunburst patterns. Further embellishments include a representation of the Temple of Venus and an urn, created using paillons and half-pearls. The bezel is embellished with a surround of half-pearls, while the pendant is finished in champlevé enamel. The enamel painting is attributed to J-L. Richter.
- Movement and Construction
- The movement is a 44.1 mm diameter, hinged gilt brass full plate construction. It utilizes cylindrical pillars and a fixed barrel. The timekeeping is regulated by a cylinder escapement featuring a brass escape wheel. The movement is signed and features a flat balance spring. The technical arrangement includes a six-arm plain balance that is decorated with rose-cut diamonds, visible from the dial side. This scene is inspired by an engraving derived from a composition by Guido Reni.
- Dial and Timekeeping Configuration
- The white enamel dial features a non-standard layout with an eccentric hour chapter featuring Arabic numerals positioned in the lower half. The upper portion of the dial features an aperture that displays the balance. The balance is a six-armed design, set with rose-cut diamonds, which oscillates against a mirror-polished steel plate. The dial is equipped with gold 'beetle' style hands and outer minute dot divisions, complemented by an outer ring showing quarter-second divisions and fifteen-second Arabic numerals.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Enamel painting attribution is tentative
- Research required: Condition status indicates an overhaul is required