German 18 carat gold verge Rococo watch Circa 1740

Gold pocket watch with repeater in a gold case
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A quarter repeating pocket watch of outstanding quality made by Valentin Stos in Ulm, Germany, circa 1740. The particularly high quality repoussé Rococo case of this watch, crafted from 18 carat four colour gold features a five part outer hinge, a bell and highly detailed figural scene on the back lid. The white enamel dial features Roman hours, an outer minute track with Arabic five minute numerals and gilt open work hands. The fire gilded movement is fitted with a verge escapement and repeats the hours and quarter hours. The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 43 mm
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Signed: Valentin Stos Ulm
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Stos(ß)
Valentin Stoß (also spelled Valentin Stos) the Elder, born on January 15, 1709 in Ulm Germany was a prominent 18^th century watchmaker there. He was a member of a well known family of artisans and was known for the high quality of his work, ranging from complex chamber clocks to refined pocket watches.
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Valentin was the son of Rudolph Stoß, a constable who taught him drawing and arithmetic. Although he initially apprenticed as a mason, he later switched to precision mechanics and watchmaking. He studied his craft in Schaffhausen, Zurich and Mannheim until 1734, then worked in Ulm from 1737.
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His work was characterized by the typical German precision of the time. A famous example of his work from this period is an ‘Aufsatzsekretär mit Uhr’ (a writing desk with a built in clock) from around 1750, which is currently located in the Museum Ulm.
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Although his family continued the craft well into the 19^th century, the small scale workshops in Ulm did not survive the transition to industrial mass production.