French 18 carat gold and enamel pocket watch Circa 1800

Pocket watch with repeater and pearls
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An exquisite gold and enamel verge watch with repeater, pearls and the original key, made by Louis Mallet in Paris, France, circa 1800. This watch features an 8 carat gold case with the case maker’s hallmark ‘JS’. The original setting is adorned with large oriental pearls on both sides and exhibits extremely precious enamel work on the back, displaying a paillon enamel peacock eye pattern. Depending on the light, this enamel appears to change colour from green to blue. The original key also features the same enamel technique. The enamel dial features an outer minute and hour track with Arabic 15 minute- and hour numerals and beautiful gold hands. The numbered movement is equipped with a verge escapement and an hours and quarter repeater.
The dial and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 48 mm
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Weight: 80 g
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Signed: Mallet à Paris
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The item presented here is a museum quality collector’s watch with very rare and special enamelling.
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Mallet
Mallet was a well known family of pocket watchmakers and clockmakers in Paris during the 17^th, 18^th and early 19^th centuries. The most prominent among them was Louis Mallet (active from the late 18^th century until 1824).

The Early Masters

The earliest roots of the Mallet watchmaking legacy trace back to the mid 17^th century. Around 1650, a watchmaker named Mallet operated a prominent workshop in Clermont, France.

 Early 1800’s: The Golden Era of Louis Mallet

The business reached its peak of commercial success and historical fame under Louis Mallet during the First French Empire and the Bourbon Restoration. The Paris Address: By 1815, Louis Mallet’s workshop had relocated to the commercial heart of Paris, recorded at Rue J-J Rousseau. To meet skyrocketing demand from wealthy clients, the business expanded from a single master craftsman into a larger firm registered as L. Mallet et Compagnie (L. Mallet & Co.). The defining moment for the business came when Louis Mallet was appointed as the Horloger du Duc d’Orléans (Official Clockmaker to the Duke of Orléans). The Duke later ascended the throne as King Louis-Philippe I of France. This royal endorsement solidified the business as a premier supplier of luxury status symbols.

The peak era of the business effectively ended when Louis Mallet died around 1824.