Early French gilt verge oignon watch without fusee Circa 1690

Fire gilded oignon watch by Jean Hubert
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An early French fire gilt one handed verge oignon pocket watch without fusee, circa 1690. Full plate movement, going barrel, pierced pillars, four arm steel balance, florally engraved and pierced balance cock. White enamel, dial with Roman hours and a blued steel hand. Plain case.
Movement signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 104 g
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Signed: Jean Hubert à Rouen fecit
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Pocket watches without fusee. Jacques Gloria (1640-1705), a French watchmaker, was of the opinion that his watches could do without the fusee because they achieved a higher than usual accuracy due to the use of the mainspring. To compensate for the unequal transmission of power resulting from the unregulated spring as it ran down, the watchmakers in Rouen only used the centre part, which delivered a more or less constant force for approximately 30 hours. This, however, required a small scale on the back plate, which indicated the running time left for the spring. The endless screw regulator is very similar to that invented by Nathaniel Barrow in England and typical for the oignon watches without fusee the makers in Rouen produced.