French 20K gold quarter repeating à toc pocket watch Circa 1780

Gold and enamel repeating à toc verge watch
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A very fine French 20K gold and enamel open faced quarter repeating à toc verge pocket watch, circa 1780. A Louis XVI case, the spring-loaded bezel, released by a concealed pin-catch, decorated with a leaf and berry pattern highlighted with green and red translucent enamel, white enamel line borders, the back decorated with an en grisaille painted on enamel oval of a cherub within a flower arbour and an applied gold detail surrounded by white enamel pearls and an outer translucent green guilloché enamel border, further border decorated to match the bezel.
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White enamel dial with Dauphine hours, outer dot minute divisions, Arabic quarter-hour numerals and gold beetle & poker hands. A gilt full plate movement, turned pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three arm brass balance, flat balance spring, continental balance cock, polished steel endplate, silver regulation dial, repeating on blocks on the side of the case activated by depressing the pendant.
Dial and movement signed, the case punched with master mark JAA.
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Diameter: 40 mm
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Signed: Gregson Paris
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Jean Gregson was of British origin and watchmaker to the King. Gregson must have been considered one of the best by his contemporaries as he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Clock Manufactory Commission in 1786. Only three other watchmakers were on this commission namely Breguet, Berthoud and Lepaute.
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Montre à toc. A ‘dumb’ repeater watch in which a hammer strikes the inside of the case to produce a muffled sound. Invented by Julian Le Roy in 1740.
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A grisaille (en grisaille), or grey painting, is a painting in which one does not apply natural colours but restricts oneself to depicting things in all possible shades of the same colour, usually grey or brown.
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A cherub is a kind of angel, one of the second rank. Cherubs or cherubim, as the Hebrew plural is, were the ancient Israelites’ representations of symbolic, otherworldly beings. According to the Bible, a cherub looks different from other angels. Angels are often described as beings without wings, only in Revelation 14:6 angels are described as having wings, and they look like human beings. Cherubs always have wings and often look like animals.