Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Mermod Freres Miniature 18kt Rose Gold Quarter Repeater
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 18th century
- Historical period
- Early Modern Horology (1600 – 1750)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 4380
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 4380)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Mermod Freres Miniature 18kt Rose Gold Quarter Repeater (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 4380), this is a pocket watch, dated 18th century. The Atlas places it in the Early Modern Horology period (1600 – 1750) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. 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 with the exquisite Mermod Freres Miniature 18kt Rose Gold Quarter Repeater, a remarkable timepiece from the 18th century that captures the essence of Swiss horological mastery. This rare and stunning pocket watch, crafted in the 1890s, features a pristine white enamel Roman dial with sub-second and outer minute tracks, accentuated by blued steel spade hands and protected by a mineral glass cover. The elegant plain rose gold case, Swiss hallmarked and stamped with the MF insignia, includes a side slide for its enchanting repetition function. Inside, the highly jeweled nickel-finished lever movement boasts a compensated balance spiral Breguet hairspring and steel hammers that melodiously chime the hours and quarters upon activation. With a case diameter of 35 mm, this miniature chiming watch is not only a marvel of engineering but also an exquisite piece of art, making it an exclusive addition to any discerning collector’s repertoire. Introducing the Mermod Freres 18kt Rose Gold Full Hunter Keyless Lever Quarter Repeater pocket watch, a rare and stunning timepiece from the 1890s. The white enamel Roman dial boasts sub second and outer minute tracks, with blued steel spade hands and mineral glass cover. The plain rose gold case is Swiss hallmarked and stamped MF, with a side slide for repetition. The highly jewelled nickel finished lever movement features a compensated balance spiral Breguet hairspring and steel hammers that chime the hours and quarters when the repeat slide is activated. This mini chiming watch is an exquisite and exclusive addition to any collection. Creator: Mermod Freres Case Material: 18k Gold,Rose Gold Case Dimensions: Diameter: 35 mm (1.38 in) Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 18th Century Date of Manufacture: 18th Century Condition: Good
Historical context
Early Modern Horology (1600 – 1750)
Huygens' pendulum and balance spring transform accuracy; English makers develop the anchor and deadbeat escapements.
The balance spring (c. 1675) improved watches dramatically and introduced the minute hand. English pair-cased verge watches with pierced balance cocks and French oignons were typical; enamel painting at Blois and Geneva, and the repeating watch (1680s), made watches objects of great refinement.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Renaissance Horology
Atlas type guide
Repeating watches
Before electric light, telling the time in the dark was a real problem. Repeating watches strike the time on demand when a slide or push-piece is operated: quarter repeaters sound hours and quarters, minute repeaters hours, quarters and minutes. Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare disputed the invention in London in the 1680s. Early repeaters struck on a bell inside the case; Abraham-Louis Breguet introduced the gong (a coiled steel wire) around 1780, allowing thinner watches.
Repeaters require a separate train with racks, snails and a governor to control the striking speed, and are among the most demanding complications to make and adjust. Swiss makers of the Vallée de Joux specialised in repeating ébauches in the nineteenth century.
What to look for
- A slide on the case band or a push-piece through the pendant.
- Gongs encircling the movement (after c. 1780) or a bell in the case (earlier); pierced case for sound.
- The racks, snails and governor visible under the dial or on the movement.
- Terms such as 'Minutes', 'Quarts' or 'Répétition' on the dial or cuvette.
Dating clues
- Bell-striking quarter repeaters: c. 1690–1800.
- Gong repeaters and dumb repeaters (striking on the case): after c. 1780.
- Minute repeaters became more common after c. 1830 with Vallée de Joux ébauches.
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:Minute repeater
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