Swiss gold and enamel pendant watch set with jewels Circa 1850

Gold richly decorated cylinder watch by Rossel & Fils
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An extremely precious, unique Swiss 18 carat gold, enamel, diamond and emerald set open faced pendant watch, circa 1850. Geneva cylinder movement with key winding. Screwed gold engine turned dial with Roman hours, outer minute dots and steel Breguet hands. A foliage engraved front bezel, the case back is decorated with diamonds and emeralds surrounded by a translucent green enamelled outer rim and a further outermost florally engraved rim, the pendant, bow and opening button are also set with diamonds. Cuvette signed.
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Diameter: 25 mm
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Weight: 92 g
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Signed: Rossel & Fils Succrs de Bautte & Cie Genève
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The diamonds are circa 3ct and the emeralds circa 1.5ct.
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Bautte & Cie in Genève and its successor Rossell & Fils were famous for their pocket watches, tins and lorgnettes with the finest enamels and precious jewels. This watch is undoubtedly one of the top pieces. Comparable pocket watches with emerald and diamond settings can be found in the important collections of the Louvre and the Hermitage.
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In 1791, watchmaker and goldsmith Jean-François Bautte signed his first watches. He created a manufacturing company in Geneva, grouping for the first time, all the watchmaking facets of that time. This included engineering the watch to the final hand assembly and hand polishing of each piece. In 1832, Jacques Bautte and Jean-Samuel Rossel succeeded him, becoming the head of the company. In 1852, the watchmaker Constant Girard founded Girard & Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. He then married Marie Perregaux in 1854 and the Girard-Perregaux company was founded in 1856. In 1906, Constant Girard-Gallet, who took over control of the company from his father, acquired the Bautte firm and merged it with Girard-Perregaux & Cie.