Elegant French gold and translucent enamel verge Circa 1790

Gold open faced pocket watch
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An elegant French 18 carat gold and translucent enamel pocket watch, made by Jean-François DeBelle in Paris, circa 1790. A round shaped keywinding Directoire open faced pocket watch. Royal blue translucent enamel over guilloché case back with a decoration of white enamel, garlands and rosacea of gold paillons, invisible hinges. White enamel dial, with black painted radial Arabic numerals and gold Fleur de Lys hands. A full plate, gilded brass movement, with fusee and chain, verge escapement, monometallic balance and blued steel flat hairspring, pierced and engraved gilded continental Louis XIV cock. The dial is numbered 1003.
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Diameter 50 mm
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Signed: Jean-François DeBelle, Paris
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Jean-François Debelle
Jean-François De Belle (Belle or Debelle) is a watchmaker active in Paris in the last part of the 18th century (died in 1804). He was probably a pupil of Robert Robin (1742-1799). He was received as a master in the watchmakers’ guild of Paris on July 8, 1781. It is located on rue Saint-Honoré, at the corner of rue de l’Arbre-Sec (mentioned between 1787 and 1804). In 1793, he was a deputy to the Jury in charge of deciding questions relating to the new decimal time system. He is eulogized in the various Parisian almanacks of the late 18th century.
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We know of two important automaton clocks delivered by his widow in 1804 to the Spanish court on behalf of Charles IV (1748-1819), King of Spain (1788-1808); one represents The Forge of Vulcan, the other The Barque of Caron; today they are kept in the Royal Palace in Madrid (Spain). Other institutions preserve some of his clocks: Franklin Institute of Philadelphia (U.S.A.); Château de Fontainebleau (France), etc. A man named Lefevre (or Lefèvre or Le Fevre) was his successor; he was active on rue Saint-Honoré between 1804 and 1820.