Le Roy, Paris, No. 1804 Gilt Brass and Tortoiseshell Open-Face Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1870
Catalogued as signed by Le Roy, Paris with number 1804, this open-face key-wound pocket watch is described as having a gilt brass verge escapement movement. The polychrome enamel dial features an eccentric white hour chapter with Arabic numerals, an aperture for the winding arbour situated between 1 and 2 o'clock, and a painted river scene with riverside architecture, trees, and a boat, all bordered by a pink pattern.
The source describes the case as slim brass with a gilt floral border and a tortoiseshell back centered by an engraved gilt panel.
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
- Dial
- Enamel dial with arabic numerals and painted river scene
- Type
- Verge escapement pocket watch
- Escapement
- Verge escapement in gilt brass
- Place recorded
- France
- Winding Arbour
- Between 1 and 2 o'clock
- Maker / attribution
- Le Roy
- Movement Inscription
- Le Roy, Paris No. 1804
Design
- Visible features
- • Pierced gilt hands positioned over an off-center white circular chapter ring with Arabic numerals. • Winding aperture located between the 1 and 2 o'clock positions on the dial. • Polychrome enamel river landscape with a boat, distant trees, and buildings. • Pink textured pattern border surrounding the central oval landscape vignette. • Gilt brass outer bezel decorated with floral patterning. • Attached winding key suspended by rings from the pendant bow.
- Reported Movement and Case Construction
- According to the auction catalog, the watch contains a movement signed 'Le Roy, Paris No. 1804' featuring a 'verge escapement in gilt brass'. As no interior movement images are provided in the source record, specific caliber dimensions, pillar designs, and balance configurations are not recorded. The case is catalogued as a 'slim brass open face case with surround decorated with flowers in gilt, tortoise shell case back with engraved gilt panel with stone set to center.' The presence of tortoiseshell is accompanied by a 'Restricted Species Lot' designation in the auction entry, though the case back and stone setting are not depicted in the available frontal photograph.
- Dial Composition and Visual Ornamentation
- The timepiece features an enamel dial catalogued with Arabic numerals and a painted river scene, with an off-center white circular chapter ring indicated by pierced gilt hands. The scene portrays a body of water with a boat, bankside trees, and architectural structures, framed within a pink patterned border. A winding aperture is situated on the dial surface between the 1 and 2 o'clock positions. The watch is housed in an open-face format, with visual observation showing a gilt bezel adorned with floral detailing and a separate winding key attached to the bow by linking rings.
- Catalogued Dating and Verification Limitations
- The auction house catalogues the watch as 'Circa 1870' and describes it as 'A slim gilt and tortoiseshell key wound watch with enamel dial scene and verge escapement'. The provided documentation is limited to a single dial-side photograph and brief lot notes. Independent verification of the tortoiseshell case back, the stone-set central panel, the internal signature, and the mechanical assembly is not possible from the recorded source materials alone.
Identification
- Serial number
- 1804
- 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: The tortoiseshell case back and the interior movement are described by the auction house but are not visible in the provided image.
- Research required: The catalogued date of circa 1870 is notably late for a verge escapement watch with dial-side winding, though retained as reported by the source.