French silver pendant watch with alarm and self strike Circa 1600

Silver verge Renaissance pendant watch by Pasquier Payras
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An early French silver single-handed Renaissance pendant watch with alarm and self-striking mechanism, circa 1600. Highly complicated early verge movement, foliot, very fine chain (originally gut string), three windings for movement, alarm and striking mechanism. Dial with outer engraved silver ring with angels, gold-coloured ring with Roman hours and blue enamel inlays, silver alarm disc with Arabic numerals, also showing angel heads. Curved, pierced and engraved silver case with bell, each of the ten segments with the representation of mythical creatures, flowers and tendrils. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 46 mm
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Weight: 113 g
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Signed: Pasquier Peira Blois
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The Payras/ Peiras/ Perras family was recorded from 1594 to 1639, represented by Pasquier I and from 1597 by Pasquier II and included a total of eight watchmakers in Blois. Today only a few watches from this time and with this signature still exist. According to research, this watch is the most complicated known Payras watch that still exists. An octagonal pendant watch is exhibited in the Victoria & Albert Museum.