French 18K gold and painted enamel pocket watch Circa 1780

Gold open faced key winding verge watch
–
A fine French 18 carat yellow gold open faced enamel pocket watch made by Lange in Valenciennes, late 18th century. It features a mechanical keywound firegilded brass movement with a chain fusee and verge escapement. The balance cock is intricately pierced. It has a silver regulator disc with an advance/delay setting rosette and is signed Lange à Valenciennes on the movement plate. The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals for the hours, an outer minute track with Arabic five minute markers, a key winding aperture, an ornate gold hour hand, and is signed Lange A Valenciennes.
–
The timepiece is housed in a round 18 carat solid yellow gold open faced case with chased relief scrollwork bezels. The reverse back cover is decorated with a fine hand painted polychrome enamel gallant scene showing a courting couple in a landscape. The interior of the caseback is painted with a delicate bouquet of flowers.
–
Diameter: 46 mm
–
Weight: 73.6 g
–
Signed: Lange à Valenciennes
–
The minute hand is missing. Dial displays slight crazing consistent with age.
–
Lange à Valenciennes was a French watchmaker active in the northern town of Valenciennes during the second half of the 18th century. Personal biographical details are scarce, but his presence is documented in French trade archives, including a letter dated March 31, 1779. He operated in the classical French horological tradition of the Louis XVI period and produced custom mechanical pocket watches signed Lange à Valenciennes on the dial or movement. These were typically housed in 18 carat gold cases. Because these timepieces were handcrafted by a local artisan in very limited numbers, authentic surviving examples are rare and highly sought after by collectors at art and antique auctions. Note: This historic French artisan is unrelated to the later German luxury brand A. Lange & Söhne.