Square watch by F. L. Meybom

Technical characteristics

Type

Early watch (16th–17th century)

Dimensions

1 1/2 × 1 1/4 × 5/8 in. (3.8 × 3.2 × 1.6 cm)

Escapement

Crown-wheel and verge escapement with steel balance wheel

Movement Maker

F. L. Meybom (active ca. 1650–80)

Place recorded

France

Case Attribution

Isaac Bergeron dit d'Argent (French, active 1649–97)

Maker / attribution

F. L. Meybom

Signature on Back Plate

F. Meybom AParis / St. Germain

Design

Visible features

• Square gold case back decorated with intricate chased openwork floral and acanthus foliate designs radiating outward from a central rosette. • Dark blued-steel ground visible through the openwork gold overlay. • A chased granulated or stippled gold border frames the central openwork panel. • Small spherical gold pendant post with an articulated suspension ring at the top edge, and a case catch mechanism at the bottom edge.

Casing and Dial Ornamentation

The exterior features a square gold case with panels of chased openwork of gold floral and foliate designs applied over blued-steel grounds. The bezel is hinged and inset with eight rose-cut diamonds set in silver, surrounding a beveled-edge rock crystal lens, the center of which is polished as a lens. The dial, pinned to the top plate of the movement, is made of white enamel with painted pink and blue floral spandrels and a dark blue basse-taille enameled center. The roman numerals are painted in black enamel, with half-hour and quarter-hour divisions marked on the chapter ring. The single hand is crafted from sculptured gold.

Attribution and Historical Context

The movement bears the signature “F. Meybom AParis / St. Germain” on the back plate, suggesting the maker operated within the Abbey of Saint Germain-des-Prés. Records regarding the maker F. L. Meybom are described as nonexistent. The case design is attributed to the Protestant goldsmith Isaac Bergeron (dit d'Argent) based on stylistic scholarly attribution. The watch is dated circa 1670–1675, a period noted for pre-balance spring movements.

Movement Construction and Technical Challenges

The timepiece employs a square movement composed of two gilded-brass plates separated by four pinned baluster pillars. The mechanism is a spring-driven, chain-fusee design utilizing a four-wheel train and a crown-wheel verge escapement, featuring a steel balance wheel without a balance spring. Regulation is achieved through a worm-and-wheel system on the back plate, accompanied by blued-steel ornaments and a silver figure plate. The small scale of this movement necessitated technical compromises, including reduced wheel and pinion sizes and limited gear ratios. To compensate, an additional wheel was integrated into the train. These constraints also required a smaller fusee with fewer turns, resulting in an estimated twice-daily winding requirement.

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.