Le Roy decorative pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1820
This Le Roy open-face pocket watch is identified as a decorative piece produced for the Turkish market, dated to approximately 1820. The watch is constructed in yellow gold and features extensive enamel work.
The case-back is decorated with a painted enamel floral arrangement set against a vieux-rose background. The dial is white enamel and displays radial Turkish numerals with blued steel Breguet-style hands. Internally, the watch is equipped with a 15-ligne, full-plate, gilded brass movement featuring a fusee and chain mechanism, a verge escapement, and a monometallic balance with a blued steel flat hairspring. The movement includes a pierced and engraved gilded continental cock.
The piece is recorded under serial number 9 892.
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
- Directoire pocket watch
- Year
- Circa 1820
- Maker
- Le Roy
- Origin
- Switzerland
- Escapement
- Verge
- Dial Numerals
- Turkish
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Case Decoration
- Painted enamel on gold
- Maker / attribution
- Le Roy
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is an open-face, key-winding, round-shaped piece classified as a large Directoire-style pocket watch. The exterior is fabricated from yellow gold and enhanced with decorative enamel. The case-back serves as the primary visual feature, displaying a painted enamel scene of a bouquet of flowers situated within a central panel set against a vieux-rose background. The dial is composed of white enamel and is marked with radial Turkish numerals, indicating its specific market designation. The time is displayed using blued steel Breguet-style hands.
- Visible features
- • Case features polychrome enamel floral decoration • Dial displays Turkish numerals • Hands are blued steel • Movement includes a pierced and engraved balance cock
- Movement and Escapement
- The internal mechanism is a 15-ligne, full-plate movement constructed of gilded brass. The escapement is a verge type, coupled with a monometallic gilded brass balance and a blued steel flat hairspring. A key feature of the movement's aesthetic finish is the pierced and engraved gilded continental cock, which secures the balance staff.
- Condition and Attribution
- The object is attributed to Le Roy and identified as a product of Switzerland. The auction description assigns the piece to circa 1820. Detailed condition notes indicate that the enamelwork has undergone slight restoration and shows minor damage, while the case exhibits light surface scratching consistent with use. The overall grade provided in the auction report is AA, indicating a 'very good' state of preservation. The dial is described as being in good condition, and the hands are identified as a later addition to the watch compared to the original components.
Identification
- Serial number
- 9 892
- 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 notes enamel is slightly restored
- Research required: Movement maintenance status recommended as overhaul