Pierre Simon Gounouilhou Etui Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1815
This 18K gold octagonal etui, attributed to Geneva-based maker Pierre Simon Gounouilhou and dated circa 1815, functions as a container housing an integrated timepiece.
The exterior features panels with painted enamel portraits of women within red guilloché borders, complemented by champlevé enamel in light and royal blue alongside engraved gold foliage. The hinged lid incorporates a glazed aperture for viewing the watch dial and a thumb-piece set with a rose-cut diamond. The watch mechanism, measuring 23 x 14 mm, features octagonal brass plates, a fixed going barrel, and a cylinder escapement.
It is powered by a five-spoke, rose-cut diamond-set gold balance with a flat balance spring, with regulation performed via an arbor. The small white enamel dial displays Arabic numerals and blued steel pear-shaped hands, with an auxiliary aperture revealing the diamond-set balance. The etui is completed with a gold suspension chain.
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 1815
- Type
- Etui watch
- Hands
- Blued steel pear
- Maker
- Pierre Simon Gounouilhou
- Material
- 18K gold, enamel, diamonds
- Dimensions
- 77 x 32 x 26 mm
- Escapement
- cylinder escapement
- Movement size
- 23 x 14 mm
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Auction Condition
- Overhaul recommended
- Maker / attribution
- Pierre Simon Gounouilhou
Design
- Visible features
- • Painted enamel portraits of women on front and back panels • Glazed lid aperture for viewing the watch • Visible rose-cut diamond-set balance • Thumb-piece set with a rose-cut diamond
- Attribution and History
- The etui is attributed to the Geneva watchmaker Pierre-Simon Gounouilhou (1779-1847), who was born in Bergerac, France, and moved to Geneva in 1799. He became a bourgeois of the city in 1823. His work includes automaton objects, musical pieces, and conventional repeating watches. Gounouilhou’s early career in Geneva is noted for experimental decorative techniques, including granulation. His business continued to operate under his name until 1870, decades after his death.
- Watch Mechanism and Dial
- The interior of the etui contains apertures for winding, hand-setting, and regulation. The watch dial is white enamel with Arabic numerals and an outer minute division track, featuring a royal blue translucent enamel border with engraved floral patterns. Time is indicated by blued steel pear-shaped hands. The watch movement features octagonal brass plates and a fixed going barrel. It utilizes a cylinder escapement and a five-spoke gold balance set with rose-cut diamonds. A flat balance spring is employed, and regulation is achieved through an arbor. A specific aperture on the dial side allows visibility of the balance.
- Case Decoration and Construction
- The object is an octagonal etui measuring 77 x 32 x 26 mm, constructed from 18K gold. Its primary decorative elements include finely painted oval enamel portraits on the front and back central panels, depicting young women in landscapes. These portraits are surrounded by red guilloché enamel borders adorned with flower swags. The corners of the etui feature light-blue champlevé enamel and engraved gold foliage. The side surfaces display royal blue enamel layered over black diamond-pattern engine-turning. The hinged lid is decorated with a combination of royal blue, light-blue, and white champlevé enamel and features a thumb-piece set with a large rose-cut diamond.
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: Attribution to Pierre Simon Gounouilhou is not certain
- Research required: The exact manufacturing date is approximated