
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Honnore Lieutaud of Marseille Georgian 18 Karat Gold Diamond Pocket Watch, c. 1780
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- c. 1780
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold, diamond
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3989
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3989)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Honnore Lieutaud of Marseille Georgian 18 Karat Gold Diamond Pocket Watch (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 3989), this is a pocket watch, dated c. 1780. 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, diamond. 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 back in time to the elegance of the Georgian era with the Honnore Lieutaud of Marseille 18 Karat Gold Diamond Pocket Watch, a true masterpiece crafted circa 1780. This exquisite timepiece, created by the renowned Honnoré Lieutaud of Marseille, France, is a testament to the opulence and intricate artistry of its time. Adorned with a captivating motif featuring a large urn in rose, yellow, and green gold, accented with sterling silver, the watch is a visual delight. The motif is enhanced with etched rays, garlands, and a brilliant diamond that doubles as a button to open the crystal cover, unveiling a sophisticated watch face. The face itself is a marvel, with black Roman numerals, numeric increments, and an intricate Arabic style dial encrusted with delicate old Rose Cut diamonds. The watch’s movement and verge mechanism are engraved with “h. Lieutaud a Marseille” and the serial number “No. 780,” signifying its authenticity and heritage. Measuring approximately 2 5/8″ tall, 1 3/4″ in diameter, and 3/4″ thick, this pocket watch is not only a functional timepiece but also a significant historical artifact in excellent antique condition, weighing 48.7dwt (75.7g). A must-have for collectors, this magnificent treasure encapsulates the grandeur and craftsmanship of the late 18th century. This is an exquisite pocket watch made by Honnoré Lieutaud of Marseille, France, during the Georgian era around 1780. The watch is made of mixed metals and adorned with a stunning motif of a large urn in rose, yellow, and green gold and sterling silver accents. The motif is finished with etched rays and surrounded by garlands and a diamond that catches the light brilliantly. The diamond also acts as a button to open the crystal cover, revealing an elegant watch face with black Roman numerals, numeric increments and an intricate Arabic style dial encrusted with delicate old Rose Cut diamonds. The watch movement and verge mechanism are engraved with “h. Lieutaud a Marseille” and the serial number “No. 780”. The pocket watch is in excellent antique condition and currently keeps time and remains in excellent working condition. It measures approximately 2 5/8″ tall (including the handle), is about 1 3/4″ diameter, and is approximately 3/4″ thick. This magnificent historical treasure is a must-have for collectors and weighs 48.7dwt (75.7g). Creator: Honnore Lieutaud of Marseille Case Material: Gold,Rose Gold,Yellow Gold,18k Gold Stone: Diamond Stone Cut: Old Mine Cut Weight: 75.7 g Case Dimensions: Length: 66.81 mm (2.63 in) Style: Georgian Place of Origin: France Period: 1780-1789 Date of Manufacture: circa 1780 Condition: Good
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
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
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:Detached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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