French silver pocket watch with compass Circa 1800

Silver open faced key winding verge watch
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A fine French silver open faced pocket watch made with compass by Michel Lamy in Paris, circa 1800. This watch has a mechanical key winding movement, signed Lamy à Paris, with a verge escapement, a richly engraved balance bridge with a capstone, and a mock pendulum. The guilloched silver front face features a small white enamel main dial at 6 o’clock with black Arabic numerals and steel Breguet style hands, a small white enamel compass dial at 10 o’clock, and a seconds dial at 2 o’clock adorned with a miniature painting of Adam and Eve. The timepiece is housed in a classic silver open faced case with a richly guilloched back cover, a decorative engine turned perimeter bezel, and a round winding stem. The watch is accompanied by its original winding key.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: Michel Lamy à Paris
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Michel Lamy was an esteemed Parisian master horologist active during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, spanning the French Directory and Consulate eras. Documented in Tardy’s definitive Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, Lamy was highly regarded for his mechanical ingenuity and luxury craftsmanship. His workshop specialised in creating complex timepieces that integrated early complications, calendar systems, and scientific instruments, such as compasses. Lamy’s work is characterised by finely engraved verge movements, often featuring openworked balance bridges with decorative mock pendulums, and collaborations with top artisans for exquisite engine turned cases and detailed miniature enamel paintings. His timepieces from this period are traditionally signed Lamy à Paris.