French rare and very fine gold enamel verge watch Circa 1790

18 Carat gold pocket watch with pearls and chatelaine
–
A rare and very fine gold enamel verge watch with pearls and gold enamel chatelaine, made by Breguet in Paris, France, circa 1790. The top quality open faced was crafted from 18 Carat gold, has both sides set with original fine Oriental half pearls, a back with an  ‘en grisaille’ enamel painting in very good original condition, showing lovers playing the lute. Opening of the case is facilitated by a little push button in the pendant. The professionally restored white enamel dial has an outer ring with Arabic quarter numerals (outside) and hour numerals (inside) and original gold hands. The movement has a verge escapement and the watch comes with a corresponding gold chatelaine with an enamel plaque, showing soldier, an original gold key for time setting and a seal pendant.
Dial and movement are signed.
–
Diameter: 40 mm
–
Weight: 46 g
–
Signed: Breguet, à Paris
–
Gold enamel verge watches of this quality with corresponding gold chatelaine are museum collectors’ items. A comparable watch, but in a much simpler version, was sold in Geneva for CHF 10.000 in 2017.
–
À grisaille (en grisaille)
À grisaille or grey painting, is a painting in which one does not apply natural colours but restricts one self to depicting things in all possible shades of the same colour, usually grey or brown.