French Silver Gilt Verge Pocket Watch with Adam and Eve Automaton
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1790
This French open-face pocket watch, dated to the late eighteenth century, features a verge fusee movement housed in a large silver-gilt case with a reeded mid-section.
The dial is decorated with blue and white vertical stripes overlaid with gilded foliage. A central circular glazed aperture depicts an Adam and Eve automaton scene; the movement powers a painted snake that rotates around the figures. Time is displayed on a subsidiary white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and gold hands. A second white enamel subsidiary dial on the left includes a two-way hand indicating the days of the week in French alongside corresponding astronomical symbols.
Signed 'Du Bois et Fils' on the right side of the dial, the watch measures 62mm in diameter and 14mm in depth. The gold-plated full-plate fusee movement features an intricately pierced and engraved bridge cock with a steel coqueret.
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
- Type
- Verge fusee pocket watch with automaton
- Maker
- Du Bois et Fils
- Dimensions
- 62mm x 14mm
- Case Material
- Silver gilt
- Movement Type
- Full-plate gilt fusee with verge escapement
- Place recorded
- France
- Country of Origin
- France
- Maker / attribution
- Du Bois et Fils
Design
- Visible features
- • The enamel dial features a specific blue and white pinstriped pattern with gold foliage appliqués. • The Adam and Eve scene includes a mechanical rotating snake feature. • The movement bridge is ornately pierced and engraved. • The case features a distinct reeded pattern on the band.
- Dial and Automaton
- The base is decorated with blue and white vertical stripes, embellished with gilded foliage motifs. Centrally positioned is a circular glazed aperture displaying a painted scene of Adam and Eve, which integrates a mechanical enamel snake that moves in synchronization with the watch's ticking. The dial hosts two subsidiary white enamel registers. One, located at the bottom, displays the time via Arabic numerals and gold hands. The other, positioned to the left, shows the days of the week in French, accompanied by ancient astronomical symbols for the celestial bodies. The maker's signature, 'Du Bois et Fils', is presented in an oval cartouche on the right side.
- Case and Provenance
- The watch is housed in a large open-face case constructed from silver-gilt, which presents a plain finish. The mid-section of the case band is detailed with a reeded or fluted texture, providing a subtle decorative contrast to the polished surfaces. The case provides a robust enclosure for the intricate automaton and calendar mechanisms within. According to the provided information, the watch dates to the late eighteenth century and is attributed to the French market. The seller's inventory record identifies the piece as item A1320.
- Movement and Escapement
- The timepiece is powered by a gold-plated full-plate fusee movement utilizing a verge escapement. The construction incorporates a simple three-arm gilded balance wheel paired with a blued steel helical balance spring. A silver regulator plate with a blued steel indicator allows for the adjustment of timekeeping performance. The bridge cock is noted for its intricate openwork and engraving, a characteristic refinement of the period. It is further protected by a steel coqueret.
Identification
- Seller Inventory ID
- A1320
- 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 dating 'circa 1790' is attributed to the seller.
- Research required: The specific function or mechanism of the astronomical symbols alongside the day-of-week indicator is noted as a traditional feature but not further explained.