Horological Meandering

Musée int. d'horlogerie (MIH) La Chaux-de-Fonds. – Part 6

Lets see some very nice pocket watches now:

French "onion" pocket watches, 17^th century.

Savonette with enamel painting on gold. Case in silver. Movement signed Jehan Augier, Paris. About 1600 -1620.

Savonette with Venus themed enamel painting on gold "Louis XIII". Movement with verge (or crown wheel) escapement without spiral. Sigend F. Baroneau, Paris. 1640.

Pocket watch with enamel painting on the backside showing the construction of the Babel tower. The movement features a fusée à chaine, and a "echappement a roué de recontre et d'un balancier annulaire sans spiral". (Sorry, could find the proper translation. I even couldn't figure what kind of escapement is described here….but as we cant see the movement at all,  let us focus on the beauty of the enamel painting)

Signed Mattheus Wentzel Strasbourg. Around 1640.

Pocket watch with enamel painting on the backside featuring a scene from the bible: "Le voeu de Jephté". Movement signed T. Brow, around 1720

I find the true beauty of the enamel paintings striking. It would be interesting

Watch in the form of a tulip, with enamel painting showing the Jesus Christ and other religious motifs.

Quarter hour repeating watch with gold dial painted on enamel. Anonymous, Geneva, around 1800

Pendant with openwork and engraving with small enameled watch. Early 19^th century.

Military counter cased in silver, giving the marching speed of the troupe (counting 60 to 130 beats per minute). Signed Breguet & Fils, sold 1822 to General Brosin for the Russian Emperor.

Movement "systeme Stayden" Subscription piece. Cylinder escapement with compensator balance wheel with three arms.  Ref. 135, Breguet No. 3105.

Subscription Lepine pocket watch by Breguet. Silver case. Cylinder escapement, "parachute" and compensating index. Secrete Breguet signature under the "12". Ref. 357, Breguet No. 3492.

"Parachute": Old term denoting an endstone fixed to the end of a spring-blade on the balance-cock. This device was invented by A. L. Breguet, its object being to protect the balance-staff pivot from axial shocks. (from Illustrated Professional Dictionary of Horology)

Quarter hour repeating watch with engine-turned watch case. Benjamin Vulliamny, London, 1822.

Skeleton watch with engine turned watch case and quarter hour repeating mechanism.. S.F. Ravené, Berlin, early 19^th century.

Quarter hour repeating watch with gold watch case featuring a fluted middle part. Louis Buezod, early 19^th century.

Qaurter hour repeating watch and music on disc, J.C.Huguenin, La Chaux-de-Fonds, mid19^th century.

Watch for wrist with tactile alarm. Mid 19^th century.

Interesting pocketwatch. The soldier shows the time when pressing a button. I remember that Thomas Pretscher released wristwatches with a similar mechanism. Quite special indeed.

It is time for lunch now.

La Chaux-de-fonds presents itself in beautiful sunshine and we enjoy a nice lunch at the Restaurant du Theatre. We will be back after the lunch break…..

End of Part 6

Stay tuned…more to come during the course of the next few days…