French 18k Gold Quarter Repeating Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 19th century
This open-face pocket watch, attributed to Bailly of Rue de Richelieu, Paris, dates to the early 19th century. The watch features an 18k gold case with engine-turned decoration and a slim, machine-turned mid-band.
The white enamel dial is accented with black Arabic numerals and blue-steel Breguet-style hands. Internally, it is powered by a gilt bar movement equipped with a suspended going barrel, a three-armed gold balance wheel with a blued steel hairspring, and a ratchet-tooth lever escapement. The quarter-repeating mechanism is actuated via the pendant, striking on two polished steel square-section gongs. The inner cuvette, constructed of gilded metal, bears the signature of the maker and his Paris address.
Winding and time-setting are performed using a key.
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
- Quarter repeating pocket watch
- Maker
- Bailly
- Dating
- Early 19th Century
- Country
- France
- Winding
- Key-wind
- Mechanism
- Quarter repeater
- Escapement
- Ratchet tooth lever
- Case Material
- 18k gold
- Movement type
- Gilt bar
- Place recorded
- France
- Maker / attribution
- Bailly
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is housed in an open-face 18k gold case, finished with precise engine-turned (guilloché) patterns on the reverse. The dial is crafted from high-quality white enamel, presenting a clean contrast against the applied black Arabic numerals. Time is indicated by Breguet-style hands fashioned from blued steel, consistent with the functional elegance found in early 19th-century French timepieces.
- Visible features
- • Blue steel Breguet hands • Engine-turned gold caseback • Pendant-activated quarter-repeating mechanism • 18k gold case construction
- Signatures and Attribution
- The internal dust cover, or cuvette, is made of gilded metal and serves as the location for the maker's identification. The inscription includes the maker's name, Bailly, along with the professional location at Rue de Richelieu, Paris. This signature, combined with the key-wind mechanism, links the watch to the workshop of Bailly in early 19th-century Paris. The identification is preserved on the cuvette, which also facilitates the necessary access for manual winding and adjustment of the movement.
- Movement and Repeating Mechanism
- The movement is a gilt bar construction, featuring a suspended going barrel. Regulation is provided by a three-armed gold balance wheel paired with a blued steel hairspring. The watch employs a ratchet-tooth lever escapement for timekeeping. The quarter-repeating function is initiated by depressing the pendant. This action causes hammers to strike two polished steel gongs of square section, providing an auditory indication of the time in quarters.
Identification
- Reference
- 1386
- 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: Operational status of the repeating mechanism and mainsprings is not stated
- Research required: Accuracy and internal authenticity of inscriptions require expert inspection