Small French 18K gold open faced lever watch Circa 1880

Gold ladies’ pocket watch by Charles Oudin
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A fine and small French 18 carat gold open faced pocket watch, circa 1880. The gilt brass full plate movement with a lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance and blued steel flat balance spring. Gold engine turned dial with Roman hour numerals and outer minute divisions on a brushed chapter ring, original blued steel moon hands (the hour hand is broken). The solid case with an engine turned back, and a reeded band and bezels, the pendant and bow are polished. Movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 27 mm
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Signed: Charles Oudin Paris
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Charles Oudin, a talented and innovative watch and clockmaker, was a student of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Oudin excelled in creating watches with the Equation of Time feature and developed a version of this complication that could be integrated into Breguet’s souscription watches. By 1805, he had established his workshop at the Palais Royal, Galerie de Pierre. In 1819, one of Oudin’s Equation of Time watches was showcased at the Paris Exhibition.