French Gold and Enamel Verge Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Late 18th century
This late 18th-century verge pocket watch is French in origin, featuring a consular-style gold case adorned with elaborate enamel work. The case back displays a polychrome enamel scene depicting fishermen, a bridge, and a riverside landscape.
The case rims are decorated with a pattern of gilt lozenges set against blue enamel. The white enamel dial is marked "Breguet a Paris" and features Roman numerals and gilt hands. The watch is powered by a full-plate, gilt movement equipped with a fusee and verge escapement. The balance cock is bridge-style with delicate piercing and engraving, paired with a gold-plated three-arm balance and a blued steel hairspring. The regulator uses a silvered plate with a gilded indicator.
The rectangular gold pendant is finished with enamel on two sides, with the motor number and the initials "LG" engraved on the remaining faces.
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
- Case type
- Consular
- Dial material
- White enamel
- Movement type
- Verge escapement with fusee
- Place recorded
- France
- Case decoration
- Polychrome enamel landscape
- Maker signature
- Breguet a Paris
- Pendant markings
- LG and movement number
- Maker / attribution
- Breguet a Paris
- Regulator mechanism
- Silvered plate with gilt indicator
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is housed in a consular-style gold case, which serves as a canvas for decorative enamelwork. The rear of the case is decorated with a polychrome enamel painting depicting a riverside scene containing fishermen and a bridge. The case edges are accented with a geometric pattern of gold lozenges set against a blue enamel background. The dial is constructed from white enamel and features Roman numerals for the hours. Time is indicated by gilt hands, and the watch is wound via a hole located directly on the dial. The rectangular pendant is also decorated with enamel on two surfaces, with the initials "LG" and the movement number engraved on the other sides.
- Visible features
- • Case rims feature blue enamel with a gilt lozenge motif • Dial features Roman numerals and a winding hole for key-wind mechanism • Rectangular pendant with inlaid enamel detail • Movement features a bridge-style balance cock with intricate piercing
- Movement and Escapement
- The watch is driven by a full-plate movement finished with gold plating. It utilizes a traditional verge escapement and a fusee for power regulation. The balance cock is a bridge-type component characterized by intricate piercing and engraved details. The movement assembly includes a simple three-arm, gold-plated balance and a blued steel hairspring. The regulator system comprises a silvered plate featuring a gilded indicator, which allows for fine adjustment of the timing mechanism.
- Signatures and Authenticity
- The dial bears the signature "Breguet a Paris." However, the source indicates that in the 18th-century antique watch market, Parisian decorative or trade signatures were frequently applied to verge watches. Because of this practice, the source specifies that the legitimacy of the signature and the identity of the maker should be evaluated independently by collectors and experts prior to acquisition.
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 auction description indicates that the authenticity of the Breguet signature is subject to independent evaluation
- Research required: The working condition of the movement and the state of the fusee chain are not documented in the source