Gold and Enamel Lamb-form Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 19th century
This early 19th-century pocket watch is designed in the form of a resting lamb. The watch features a gold casing decorated with polychrome enamel and split pearls.
The two-part hinged case depicts the front of the lamb on one side and its back, alongside a painted straw hat and roses, on the other. A fixed gold bow, adorned with pearls, and a rectangular push-piece allow for the opening of the casing to reveal a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and blued-steel Breguet-style hands. Winding is performed through a hole in the dial. The movement is a gilt full-plate calibre with a fusee and chain transmission and a verge escapement.
Mechanical features include a bridge cock with pierced and engraved decoration, a steel coqueret, a three-arm gold balance, and a blued-steel hairspring. The object is accompanied by a velvet-lined presentation box.
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
- Form watch
- Period
- early 19th century
- Decoration
- Miniature painting of a hat and roses
- Hand style
- Breguet-style, blued steel
- Inclusions
- Velvet-lined presentation box
- Case material
- Gold, polychrome enamel, and split pearls
- Dial material
- White enamel
- Movement type
- Gilt full-plate with fusee and chain
- Escapement type
- Verge escapement
Design
- Case and Dial
- The object is constructed in the form of a resting lamb, executed in gold and embellished with polychrome enamel. The exterior surfaces are framed by split pearls, and a small rectangular push-piece is provided to release the hinged case. The dial is composed of white enamel and features black Arabic numerals. Blued-steel Breguet-style hands indicate the time. Winding is performed through a specific hole integrated into the dial surface. The auction description reports that the enamel on both the dial and the case has been previously restored.
- Visible features
- • Case features polychrome enamel painting • Dial requires key-winding via a hole in the enamel • Movement features a pierced and engraved balance cock • Case is bordered with split pearls
- Movement and Mechanics
- The watch is powered by a gilt full-plate movement utilizing a fusee and chain mechanism. The escapement is of the verge type. The balance cock is bridge-mounted and decorated with intricate pierced and engraved work; it also incorporates a steel coqueret. Further mechanical components include a three-arm gold balance wheel paired with a blued-steel hairspring. A silver regulator scale with a gold index is used for adjustment.
- Provenance and Condition
- The watch is presented in a velvet-lined box. No maker or country of origin is documented in the source material. Prospective owners are advised by the provided text to evaluate the quality of past restoration efforts on the enamel and to verify the mechanical integrity of the fusee and verge escapement.
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: Enamel on both the case and dial has undergone historical restoration
- Research required: Functional state of the fusee chain and verge escapement is unverified