French quarter repeating watch with selector for bell strike Circa 1790

Gold, enamel, and pearl set repeating verge by Jean-Pierre Gregson
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A French gold, enamel, and pearl set quarter repeating pair cased verge watch with a selector for bell strike/dumb repeat, circa 1790. This watch features a gilded full plate movement, signed and numbered Gregson, à Paris, no. 1056. It includes a verge escapement, a decorative pierced and engraved balance bridge, and a silver regulation plate. The white enamel dial is also signed Gregson, à Paris, and has Arabic numerals, an outer Arabic minute ring, and pierced hands. Additionally, there is a slide to select between bell strike and dumb repeat functions. The watch has two cases: an inner gold case, whose back showcases a polychrome enamel painting of a mother and child with two tethered birds in a landscape set against a light blue background, and a gilt metal glazed protective outer case.
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Diameter: 47.5 mm
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Diameter outer case: 53 mm
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Signed: Gregson, à Paris
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The movement is running. The repetitive function is operational but not synchronised with the hands. The selector for strike/dumb repeat is functioning, but when set to dumb repeat, it occasionally chimes the quarters on the bell, indicating that it may need some adjustment. The dial is in good overall condition. The case’s enamel back may have been restored with hard enamel.
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Jean-Pierre Gregson served as the official watchmaker to Louis XVI starting around 1776, and he signed some of his timepieces with this title. However, as the French Revolution gained momentum, he ceased using this designation. In 1790, Gregson fled revolutionary Paris and returned to his hometown of London. He established a new workshop and began signing his work as Gregson, London.