French attractive four coloured gold pocket watch Circa 1772

Gold open faced pocket watch by Gregson
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A very attractive, four coloured gold French verge pocket watch, made by royal watchmaker Gregson, circa 1772.
20 Carat gold case, decorated with 4 different gold nuances, very solid, excellent case quality, gold French punch, five part lateral hinge. Fire gilded signed and numbered verge movement. Signed white enamel dial in excellent condition with Roman hours, Arabic minutes and probably original hands.
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Diameter: 42 mm
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Weight: 67 g
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Signed: Gregson a Paris
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Gregson, Jean Pierre, Parisian watchmaker of English descent. Jean-Pierre Gregson originally came from England. In 1776, he became a royal watchmaker in Paris and established himself in the Rue Dauphine, parish of Saint-André-des-Arts. He learned his craft in London before moving to Paris in the second half of the 18th century. Gregson was obviously a very capable master and one of the first watchmakers to use Lépine’s bar movement. In 1776, he was appointed as court watchmaker, which soon became visible in the designation of his watches. If they were initially signed with “Gregson à Paris”, the addition “Hger du Roy” was added later. His significant position is also evident in the fact that he was appointed in 1786 as a member of a commission establishing a royal manufactory. The other members were the most famous watchmakers in France – Breguet, Berthoud and Lepaute.