Gold pocket watch with dead center seconds, attributed to Moïse Pouzait
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Fin du XVIIIe siècle
This late eighteenth-century gold pocket watch is attributed by the auction house to Moïse Pouzait and was produced for the Chinese market. The lot description records an independent dead center seconds mechanism with a start/stop control along the case band.
Visible through a glazed display back, the gilt movement features a Pouzait-type escapement with a large curved four-arm balance wheel set with brilliants and centered by a diamond endstone. According to the cataloguer, the white enamel dial presents Roman hour numerals, Arabic minute markers, and a railway minute track, while the movement plate bears a drypoint scratch number reading 440.
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
- Late 18th century
- Type
- Dead center seconds pocket watch
- Weight
- 115.90 g
- Marking
- Scratch number 440
- Diameter
- 60 mm
- Attribution
- Moïse Pouzait
- Complication
- Dead center seconds
- Target market
- Chinese market
- Maker / attribution
- Moïse Pouzait (attributed)
Design
- Visible features
- • Glazed case back reveals a large gilt movement dominated by a curved four-arm balance wheel set with numerous small cut stones. • Balance cock bridge features a central diamond endstone and blued steel components alongside an index regulator. • Perimeter of the gilt plate features engraved foliate flourishes and a calibrated regulator scale. • Gold open-face case displays smooth ribbed banding, a cylindrical pendant, and an engraved bow.
- Attribution and Market Context
- The cataloguer dates this gold pocket watch to the late eighteenth century and presents an attribution to Moïse Pouzait, describing it as produced for the Chinese market. The text does not record any maker signature on the dial or movement. The movement plate bears a drypoint scratch marking reading '440' rather than an engraved or stamped factory signature. Originating from an amateur's collection outside the EEC, the watch measures 60 mm in diameter and has a gross weight of 115.90 g.
- Case and Movement Construction
- Direct observation of the glazed case back shows a full gilt brass plate dominated by an oversized four-arm balance wheel with curved spokes set with cut stones. The visible balance cock bridge features a central diamond endstone and blued steel components alongside an index regulator scale and engraved foliate flourishes around the perimeter. The cataloguer notes a hinged gold case with a transparent case back displaying the balance wheel, a smooth border with double gadrooning ('double godron'), and a start/stop control on the band.
- Dial and Dial Side Complication
- According to the auction cataloguer, the dial is executed in white enamel with stylized hands, Roman numerals for the hours, Arabic numerals for the minutes, and a railway minute track. The lot description indicates a center seconds hand operating with dead center seconds ('secondes mortes') and a Pouzait-type escapement, controlled via a start/stop function on the band. Because only the movement side is photographed, dial features remain unverified by visual evidence in the available record.
Identification
- Serial number
- 440
- 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: Attribution to Moïse Pouzait is traditional and stated by the cataloguer, not confirmed by an explicit maker signature.
- Research required: The dial and dial-side movement details are described in the auction text but are not visible in the supplied single reverse photograph.
- Research required: Movement number 440 is recorded as a drypoint scratch rather than a stamped factory serial.