Gold and Enamel French Verge Pocket Watch by Barbier le Jeune
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Late 18th century
This late 18th-century French pocket watch, attributed to the maker Barbier le Jeune in Paris, features a gold consular case decorated with multi-colored enamel.
The exterior exhibits a light blue enamel finish over a machine-turned guilloché ground, bordered by white enamel beads, with floral and scroll motifs in green, red, and white. The pendant is set with a single diamond. The watch has a white enamel dial with Roman hour numerals and Arabic minute numerals, paired with pierced silver hands set with diamonds. Internally, the watch utilizes a mechanical key-wound full-plate movement with a fusee and chain mechanism and a verge escapement.
The movement plates are gilt, featuring a highly ornate, pierced, and engraved balance cock with a steel coqueret. Precision is managed via a silver regulator index. The watch operates by direct winding 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 pocket watch
- Hands
- Pierced silver set with diamonds
- Maker
- Barbier le Jeune
- Origin
- France
- Escapement
- Verge
- Movement Type
- Full-plate mechanical key-wound with fusee
- Place recorded
- France
- Case Decoration
- Blue guilloché enamel with white enamel beads
- Maker / attribution
- Barbier le Jeune
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is housed in a gold consular case, which serves as a canvas for complex decorative techniques. The rear exterior is finished in a light blue enamel applied over an engine-turned guilloché base. The perimeter is accented by a row of white enamel beads, while additional green, red, and white enamel provides floral and scroll-work detailing. The dial is composed of white enamel, signed by Barbier le Jeune. Time is displayed via black Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. The hands are fashioned from silver in a pierced, filigree design and are set with small diamonds. A single diamond is also incorporated into the gold pendant at the top of the case.
- Visible features
- • Case decorated with blue guilloché enamel and white enamel borders • Diamond-set silver pierced hands • Intricately pierced and engraved balance cock with steel coqueret • Gilt movement with fusee and chain
- Movement and Escapement
- The primary source of power is a fusee and chain mechanism, which compensates for the varying torque of the mainspring. The escapement is of the verge type, regulating the energy release. The balance assembly includes a three-armed gold balance wheel and a flat, blued-steel hairspring. A distinct feature of the movement is the ornate, pierced and engraved balance cock, which includes a steel coqueret to reduce friction. Regulation is achieved using a silver index plate paired with a blued-steel indicator needle.
- Signatures and Attribution
- The watch is signed on both the dial and the movement by the watchmaker Barbier le Jeune. The production is attributed to a workshop in Paris during the late 18th century. These signatures are consistent with the placement of horological markings for high-end French decorative watches of this era. The documentation stresses the importance of examining these signed elements as part of the evaluation of the piece.
Identification
- Reference
- 2807
- 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 and service history are unknown
- Research required: Integrity of enamel and diamond settings is unverified