French quarter repeating à toc verge watch with chatelaine Circa 1780

Gold, enamel and pearl set verge watch by Vauchez
–
A French gold, enamel and pearl set quarter repeating à toc verge pocket watch with chatelaine, circa 1780. The watch features a gilded full plate movement with a cylinder escapement, and a pierced and engraved balance bridge. It strikes on the case and is signed Vauchez en la Cité No. 119 A Paris. The white enamel dial displays Arabic numerals and is signed Vauchez. The gold case is adorned with translucent blue enamel, decorated with gold spots on a guilloché background. At its center is a polychrome enamel plaque featuring pink roses, the bezels are set with seed pearls.
–
It comes with an associated gilt metal and enamel chatelaine along with the original presentation box.
–
Diameter: 40 mm
–
Signed: Vauchez à Paris
–
The movement is not functioning, with rust present internally around the repeating mechanism. There is a very fine crack on the dial at the 12 o’clock position. The case has scratches on the enamel. The chatelaine shows chips in the enamel, with restorations and later additions to the chain links.
–
The Vauchez or Vaucher family originally came from Fleurier, Switzerland and produced so many skilled watchmakers that attributing individual watches to their maker is very difficult. The best known was Daniel-François Vauchez.

Daniel-François was born in Fleurier in 1716 and married with nine children. Vauchez had to leave the country in 1760 and moved to Paris, where he became a master watchmaker. His wife and children initially remained in Fleurier but eventually joined him in Paris. He likely had a close relationship with Ferdinand Berthoud, which contributed to his success as a watchmaker. By 1767, he was listed as a watchmaker and from 1769 to 1790 he had a workshop in the rue Saint-Pierre-aux-Boeufs in Paris. He signed his high quality timepieces with ‘Vauchez à Paris’ and ‘Vauchez en la Cité’. Five of his sons, Jonas-Frédéric-Louis, Jean-Henri-David, François-Daniel-Abraham, Jean-Jacques, Samuel-Henri-André and his daughter Isabelle-Salomé also became watchmakers. 

Daniel-François died around 1790 in Paris and Jean-Henri-David continued the business. In a poignant letter from 1826, it is mentioned that Samuel-Henri-André and François-Daniel-Abraham were still living in poverty in Paris and were nearly blind. 

Various clocks bearing the signature ‘Vauchez à Paris’ and ‘Vauchez en la Cité’ can be found in museum collections across Europe, including the Musée du Louvre in Paris.