Isaac Soret et Fils Quarter-Repeating Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1795
This pair-cased pocket watch by Isaac Soret et Fils, dating to circa 1795, is an 18K multicolored gold and enamel timepiece. The watch features a quarter-repeating function activated by depressing the pendant.
The white enamel dial is complex, displaying an eccentric Roman chapter ring for time, a date subsidiary dial at 10 o'clock, and a moon phase indicator to the right. It includes a central sweep seconds hand. The movement is a 40.6 mm frosted gilt full-plate calibre with cylindrical pillars, a verge escapement, and a continental cock. The inner case is decorated with a miniature enamel painting of a couple in a landscape, framed by gold paillons and a translucent blue enamel border with floral motifs.
The outer case is gilt brass, featuring red tortoiseshell and gilt stud decorations. Both the dial and movement are signed by the maker.
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 1795
- Type
- Quarter repeating pocket watch
- Maker
- Isaac Soret et Fils
- Functions
- Quarter-repeater, date, ages of the moon, sweep seconds
- Movement Type
- Frosted gilt full-plate, verge escapement
- Serial Number
- 26254
- Place recorded
- Geneva
- Maker / attribution
- Isaac Soret et Fils
Design
- Visible features
- • Eccentric time display on the lower half of the dial • Miniature painting on the inner case back depicting a couple • Pierced bezels on the inner case to allow for sound • Subsidiary dials for date and lunar age
- Dial and Complications
- The white enamel dial organizes several functions across its surface. A small, eccentric Roman numeral chapter ring is located in the lower section, complemented by 'beetle and poker' hands. The upper half of the dial incorporates a date subsidiary dial at 10 o'clock and a corresponding moon age indicator. A central sweep seconds hand tracks across the dial, which features outer minute divisions and Arabic numerals for fifteen-second intervals.
- Movement and Mechanism
- The movement is a 40.6 mm (18 ligne) full-plate caliber. It features a fusee and chain system and a verge escapement. The balance is brass and paired with a flat balance spring and a continental cock. The repeating mechanism functions by striking a bell when the pendant is depressed. The movement and dial are both signed by Isaac Soret et Fils.
- Case and Enamel Decoration
- The watch is housed in a pair case assembly. The outer case is constructed from gilt brass, featuring red tortoiseshell covering and decorative gilt studs. The inner case is made of two-body 18K multicolored gold. The back of the inner case features a painted enamel scene of a gentleman and a lady in a rural setting, bordered by translucent imperial blue enamel and gold paillons. The bezels are decorated with a champlevé enamel laurel-leaf pattern and are pierced to facilitate the passage of sound for the repeating mechanism.
Identification
- Serial number
- 26254
- 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: Condition report indicates an overhaul is recommended
- Research required: The inner case style is described as '?Louis XVI?' by the source