Austrian gold and enamel perfume bottle shaped watch circa 1800

Remarkable gold, enamel verge form watch 
–
A decorative and remarkable Austrian 18 carat gold perfume bottle shaped form watch with polychrome enamel and pearl decoration, circa 1800. Gilt full plate fusée verge, plain 3-arm balance, pierced and engraved balance bridge, silver regulation.
Gold case in the form of a perfume bottle, engraved and decorated with polychrome enamel and foliate designs, pinched waist with ring of pearls with chain and enamel ring, enamel and pearl tassels to the top and painted polychrome enamel Roman scene of a pair of lovers.
The enamel dial has radial Breguet numerals, an outer minutes track and Breguet hands. Signed, full plate movement, keywind, chain/fusee, verge escapement. This watch is a one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery.
White enamel dial, black Roman numerals, black outer minute divisions, winding aperture at 2, blued steel spade hands. Movement signed.
–
Dimensions: 26 x 41 mm
–
Signed: Gruber, Vienna
–
Andreas Gruber. Vienna 1801
–
As a field, novelty timepieces can be traced as far back as the 15th Century and were created to amuse wealthy courtiers and nobles as well as pacify foreign dignitaries. This creative arm of watchmaking is vast and over the century’s timepieces have found their way into nearly every inanimate object that can be thought of. Their ultimate form has only been limited by the imagination of their maker and in some cases that seems to have been infinite. From pistols, walking canes and scent flasks to spyglasses, telescopes and perfume bottles, such as the present lot, the variety of concealed watches makes them a fascinating subsection of horology to collect.