French 18 carat gold and enamel pocket watch Circa 1800

Repeater pocket watch set with Oriental pearls
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A very finely crafted gold and enamel verge watch set with Oriental pearls and repeater, made by Jean-François De Belle in Paris, France, circa 1800. This watch features a high quality 18 carat gold case framed by exceptionally large Oriental pearls on both sides, a pendant also set with an Oriental pearl, a tiny opening button in the case band and guilloché, blue translucent enamel with a sunburst pattern on the backside. The screwed with enamel dial features an outer minute and hour track with Roman hour numerals and gold hands. The numbered movement is equipped with a verge escapement and an hours and quarters repeater.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Weight: 76 g
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Signed: De Belle Paris
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De Belle
Jean-François De Belle (Belle or Debelle from ~1755-1803) is a watchmaker active in Paris in the last part of the 18^th century. 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 rue Saint-Honoré, at the corner of rue de l’Arbre-Sec (mentioned between 1787 and 1804). In 1793, he was deputy to the Jury in charge of deciding questions relating to the new decimal time system. He is eulogised in the various Parisian almanacs of the late 18^th century