French 18K yellow gold open faced pocket watch Circa 1790

Gold open faced key winding verge watch
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A fine French 18 carat yellow gold open faced pocket watch made by Musson, circa 1790. It has a mechanical key winding movement with a verge fusee escapement, signed on the movement. The white enamel dial features black Arabic numerals for the hours, an outer minute track with Arabic quarter hour markings, a single winding aperture between 3 and 4 o’clock, and ornate pierced gold Louis XV style hands, signed Musson au Cap. The timepiece is housed in a smooth round three body, 18 carat solid yellow gold open faced case with a plain polished reverse back cover. It has a short cylindrical winding stem, a sturdy round suspension bow, and an 18 carat gold case back.
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Diameter: 45 mm
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Weight: 68.8 g
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Signed: Musson au Cap
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Musson au Cap was an 18th century French watchmaker specializing in high quality mechanical timepieces during the late Louis XVI era, around 1790. The designation au Cap suggests the watchmaker either operated in or created luxury timepieces for the affluent colonial market of Le Cap (now Cap Haïtien). Le Cap was known as the Paris of the Antilles and served as a major trading hub for French luxury goods before the revolution. Timepieces produced by Musson are highly regarded for their precise verge fusee movements, intricately signed dial plates, and sophisticated aesthetic features like ornate, openworked Louis XV style gold hands.