Diana the Huntress Gold and Enamel Verge Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1710
This 20K gold verge pocket watch is attributed to the maker Vivier L'ainé, working in Rouen, France, circa 1710. The piece is distinguished by an elaborate two-body bassine case, featuring enamel work on copper attributed to Jean Mussard V.
The back of the case displays a portrait of a lady depicted as Diana the Huntress, while the front and back bezels are painted with continuous landscape scenes including bridges, rivers, trees, and houses. The dial is a hinged gilt construction featuring raised foliage decoration at the center, surrounded by white enamel hour cartouches and dual enamel rings for minutes and quarter hours. The movement, measuring 42.3 mm, is a gilt brass full-plate design featuring square baluster pillars, a verge escapement, and a gilded, engraved double-footed balance cock.
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
- Type
- Verge pocket watch
- Maker
- Vivier L'ainé A Rouen
- Material
- 20K gold and enamel
- Escapement
- Verge
- Publication
- The Sandberg Watch Collection
- Place recorded
- France
- Dial decoration
- Raised inhabited foliage
- Movement diameter
- 42.3 mm
- Maker / attribution
- Vivier L'ainé A Rouen
Design
- Visible features
- • The case back depicts a miniature portrait of a woman identified as Diana the Huntress. • The dial uses white enamel cartouches to display Roman numerals for the hours. • The balance cock is decorated with symmetrical scrollwork engravings. • The winding system utilizes a traditional fusée and chain mechanism.
- Case and Enamel Work
- The watch is housed in a two-body, circular case constructed from 20K gold and enamel on copper. The rear of the case features a polychrome enamel miniature portrait depicting a woman posing as Diana the Huntress. The case design is completed by painted landscape motifs that extend across the front and back bezels, depicting trees, houses, rivers, and bridges. The enamel execution is attributed to Jean Mussard V. The overall diameter of the finished piece is 59 mm, and the case construction is identified in the auction record as a potential bassine configuration.
- Dial and Timekeeping
- The dial is a hinged, gilt-metal assembly centered by raised foliage decoration. Time is indicated through a series of white enamel cartouches marked with blue Roman numerals for the hour chapters. Surrounding the hour track are two additional enamel rings: an inner ring denoting quarter hours and an outer ring marked with Arabic numerals at five-minute intervals. The display integrates artistic enameling with functional time-telling elements within a single hinged plane.
- Movement and Construction
- The internal mechanism is a gilt brass full-plate movement measuring 42.3 mm in diameter. It is configured with square baluster pillars and utilizes a fusée and chain to power the going train. The watch is regulated by a verge escapement paired with a plain three-arm balance and a blued-steel balance spring. The balance cock is crafted from gilded metal and is finished with pierced, symmetrical scrollwork engravings. The movement features a wheel and click set-up for winding and is signed by the maker, Vivier L'ainé of Rouen.
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: The exact identity of the enamel artist remains attributed rather than confirmed.
- Research required: The specific 'bassine' case classification is provided with a question mark in the source text.