Skip to content
French Rose Gold Verge Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch Painted Enamel Dial — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: WatchMuseum.org shop · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

French Rose Gold Verge Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch Painted Enamel Dial

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
19th century
Country of origin
France
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
gold, enamel
Stock no.
Product 4358
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 4358)
Catalogue title (original)
French Rose Gold Verge Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch Painted Enamel Dial (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 4358), this is a pocket watch, made in France, dated 19th century. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold, enamel. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop

Step into the world of timeless elegance and masterful craftsmanship with the French Rose Gold Verge Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch, a remarkable relic of 19th-century horology. This exquisite timepiece, crafted from 18kt rose gold, embodies the sophistication and artistry of its era, offering a glimpse into the past with its meticulously designed features. At the heart of this pocket watch lies a captivating enamel dial, adorned with Arabic enamel chapters and a picturesque rural scene that captures a moment of serene beauty—a woman with a bale of straw, her child, and a friend offering grapes. The dial is further accentuated by blued steel Breguet style hands, which glide gracefully over the enchanting tableau. The watch’s rose gold case is a testament to refined elegance, featuring intricate engine turning and a vacant cartouche on the rear, which opens to unveil a gilt metal duster cover. Beyond its stunning exterior, the watch houses a full plate unsigned verge fusee quarter repeating movement, showcasing a finely chased balance bridge and a silver regulation dial. This movement is a marvel of 19th-century watchmaking, reflecting the unparalleled skill and dedication of artisans from that period. With a diameter of 55 mm, this French masterpiece is not only a functional timekeeper but also a cherished piece of history, making it an extraordinary addition to any horological collection. Its excellent condition further enhances its allure, preserving the legacy of a bygone era in a tangible, wearable form. Introducing a rare and exquisite 18kt rose gold French keywind Verge 55mm Open face quarter repeater. This timepiece features an intricately handcrafted enamel dial with arabic enamel chapters and a stunning rural center scene depicting a woman holding a bale of straw and her child by her side, engaged in conversation with a friend who is offering her grapes. The blued steel Breguet style hands perfectly complement the dial. The rose gold case boasts an elegant engine turning and a vacant cartouche to the rear, opening to reveal a gilt metal duster cover. What truly sets this timepiece apart is its full plate unsigned verge fusee quarter repeating movement with a finely chased balance bridge and silver regulation dial. The craftsmanship and attention to detail displayed in the movement is a true testament to the skill and artistry of 19th Century watchmaking. This rare and exquisite timepiece would make a perfect addition to any horological collection. Case Material: 18k Gold,Rose Gold Case Dimensions: Diameter: 55 mm (2.17 in) Place of Origin: France Period: 19th Century Date of Manufacture: 19th Century Condition: Excellent

Historical context

Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)

Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.

From 1750 to 1850 the watch became a precision instrument. Mudge's lever escapement, the cylinder escapement, Lépine's thin bar calibre, Breguet's innovations (overcoil, tourbillon, perpétuelle) and the pocket chronometer of Arnold and Earnshaw all date from this period, while verge watches remained common in cheaper production.

Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology

Atlas type guide

Verge and pair-cased watches

After Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke applied the balance spring around 1675, the verge watch became a reasonably reliable timekeeper and the minute hand became standard. Through the eighteenth century the typical English watch was a pair-cased verge: a fusee movement with a pierced, engraved balance cock, housed in an inner case and a separate protective outer case, often of repoussé gold, shagreen, tortoiseshell or enamel.

French watches of the same period were thicker 'oignons', later replaced by elegant thinner watches following Jean-Antoine Lépine's bar-bridge calibre of c. 1770. Dutch, Swiss and German makers supplied international markets, and verge watches were made until the mid-nineteenth century as cheaper alternatives to the cylinder and lever.

What to look for

  • The pierced balance cock on the backplate: winged (continental) or with a foot (English); its style dates the watch.
  • Fusee and chain visible through the movement; key winding through the dial (early) or case back.
  • Hallmarks inside English silver or gold cases, which give a date letter.
  • Maker's name and serial number engraved on the backplate; watch papers inside outer cases.
  • Enamel dials (after c. 1720) versus earlier champlevé metal dials.

Dating clues

  • Champlevé dials: c. 1680–1730; white enamel dials thereafter.
  • English case hallmarks give the year of assay to within a year.
  • Verge watches persisted in cheap production until c. 1850.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Balance spring (hairspring)Verge escapement

Related records