Gold and Enamel Chatelaine Repeating Virgule, circa 1790

Dealer description — Pieces of Time

A late 18 th Century quarter repeating Swiss virgule in a diamond and pearl set gold and enamel consular case with matching chatelaine. Full plate gilt fusee movement. Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with garnet endstone, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring. Silver regulator dial with blue steel indicator. Rare virgule escapement, large brass escape wheel. Push pendant dumb quarter repeating on two blocks in the case. Winding through the unusual white enamel dial with Roman numerals at the quarters, Arabic numerals between them. Decorative pierced gold hands. Fine gold consular case, translucent dark blue enamel over an engine turned ground. The bezel and back both set with a single row of large split pearls. Applied white metal decoration on the back set with diamonds. Gold push pendant and bow. Fine matching chatelaine, the gilt clip faced with gold and champleve enamel, an oval in the centre between two split pearls One side supports the watch on two short chains, alternating square links decorated on both sides in gold and translucent dark blue enamel bordered in white. These terminate in a spring clip with threaded safety collar. The centre with a gold and enamel bell with tassels of graduated pearls supported by a row of pearls. The other side of the clip matching chain with two gold and enamel pearl set rectangular cartouches each set with a central split pearl. The lower cartouche bordered by a row of split pearls supports the accessories three further matching chains. The central chain with a matching gold and enamel oval key. The outer chains with slightly small versions of the tassel at the centre of the clip. Fitted in an unusually shaped red morocco covered case.