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Two Colour Gold and Enamel Pair Cased Verge, 1770 — view 1 of 5
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Two Colour Gold and Enamel Pair Cased Verge, 1770

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
1770
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
gold, enamel
Stock no.
Product 1350
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 1350)
Catalogue title (original)
Two Colour Gold and Enamel Pair Cased Verge (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 1350), this is a pocket watch, dated 1770. 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 5 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 “Two Colour Gold and Enamel Pair Cased Verge – 1770,” a remarkable 18th Century Swiss verge watch that exudes the elegance and precision of a bygone era. This exquisite timepiece, signed by the renowned Jean Robert Soret, showcases the finest craftsmanship with its two-color gold and enamel pair cases. The watch features a full plate fire gilt movement with pentagonal baluster pillars, a pierced and engraved masked cock, and a silver regulator disc, all meticulously crafted to ensure accuracy and beauty. The fusee and chain mechanism, complete with a worm and wheel barrel setup, is a testament to the intricate engineering of the period. The white enamel dial, adorned with Roman and Arabic numerals, is complemented by decorative stone-set pierced silver hands, adding a touch of opulence. The gold pair cases are equally impressive, with a plain gold inner case and an engine-turned, engraved outer case featuring applied gold decoration and a row of clear stones on the front bezel. The back of the case is adorned with a stone-set pierced mask and an oval polychrome enamel portrait of a lady in a colorful hat, making this watch not just a timekeeping device but a piece of art. With a diameter of 41mm and a depth of 12.5mm, this 18 K gold and enamel masterpiece is a beautiful example of the artistry and precision of 18th Century Swiss watchmaking. This is an exquisite 18th Century Swiss verge watch that comes in two-color gold and enamel pair cases. The watch has a full plate fire gilt movement with pentagonal baluster pillars, a pierced and engraved masked cock, and a pierced and engraved foot and plate for the silver regulator disc. The fusee and chain have a worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. There is also a plain three-arm gilt balance and a blue steel spiral hairspring. The white enamel dial is signed and has Roman and Arabic numerals, and the watch comes with decorative stone-set pierced silver hands. The gold pair cases are equally impressive. There is a plain gold inner case with a number that corresponds to the one on the movement. There is also an engine turned and engraved outer case with applied gold decoration, and the front bezel is set with a row of clear stones. On the back of the case is an attractive stone set pierced mask, bordering an oval polychrome enamel portrait of a lady wearing a colorful hat. Overall, this 18th Century Swiss watch is a beautiful example of fine craftsmanship. It is signed by Jean Robert Soret and was made around 1770. The watch has a diameter of 41mm and a depth of 12.5mm. Signed Jean Robert Soret Circa 1770 Diameter 41 mm Depth 12.5 mm Materials Enamel Gold Carat for Gold 18 K

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:Verge escapement

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