French late 18th-century calendar pocket watch with centre seconds
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 18th century
This antique pocket watch is a French manufacture originating from the late 18th century. It is constructed with a silver consular case featuring a silver pendant and bow, with a maker's mark "HM" recorded on the case.
The watch utilizes a gilt fusee movement with a verge escapement. The balance cock is intricately pierced and engraved and supports a polished steel coqueret. It features a three-arm gold balance with a blued steel hairspring and a silver regulator disc with a gilded indicator. The white enamel dial is painted with a polychrome scene depicting a soldier restraining a horse. The dial layout includes a central blued steel seconds hand, a subsidiary dial for hours and minutes at the 6 o'clock position with Arabic numerals and gold hands, and a calendar display at the 12 o'clock position.
Winding is performed directly through the dial.
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 fusee pocket watch
- Dating
- Late 18th century
- Country
- France
- Case Type
- Consular
- Escapement
- Verge
- Maker's Mark
- HM
- Place recorded
- France
- Dial Decoration
- Polychrome enamel painting
- Maker / attribution
- HM
- Movement Construction
- Full plate gilt fusee
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is housed in a silver consular-style case, which includes a plain silver finish and a round pendant and bow. The case is marked with the initials 'HM', as noted in the auction documentation. The dial is composed of white enamel and decorated with a polychrome miniature painting depicting a soldier restraining a horse. Time is indicated via a subsidiary dial at the 6 o'clock position equipped with gold hands and Arabic numerals. A secondary subsidiary dial for the calendar display is positioned at 12 o'clock. A central seconds hand made of blued steel sweeps the dial, which is wound directly through a dial-side aperture.
- Visible features
- • Polychrome enamel scene on the dial featuring a soldier and a horse • Gilt full-plate movement with pierced bridge cock • Silver consular case with HM maker's mark • Direct-dial winding aperture
- Movement and Escapement
- The watch operates on a full-plate, gilt-finished movement powered by a fusee system. The escapement is a traditional verge type. The balance wheel is a three-arm gold design paired with a blued steel hairspring. The balance cock is highly decorative, featuring fine piercing and engraving. A polished steel coqueret is mounted onto the bridge. Regulation of the timekeeping is controlled by a silver disc positioned on the plate, which is accompanied by a gilded indicator.
- Condition and Attribution
- The watch is attributed to a French origin in the late 18th century. The auction description notes the presence of the 'HM' maker's mark on the case, which serves as a primary identifier for the watch's origin. Regarding the watch's state, the provided source documentation explicitly states that it has not provided information regarding current working order. Potential collectors are advised by the source to independently verify the health of the fusee chain, the operation of the calendar mechanism, the functionality of the central seconds, and the condition of the enamel paint on the dial.
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: Working condition of the calendar mechanism and seconds hand is unverified
- Research required: The integrity and continuity of the enamel paint on the dial require independent inspection