French gold watch with apertures for playing dice Circa 1800

Rare, unsigned centre seconds pocket watch
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An unusual gold French verge pocket watch with a regulator dial, centre seconds, and apertures with a simple rotating automaton, The Dice Game, circa 1800. This watch features a mechanical movement with key winding, double opening on the bowl for the clockwork and automaton, which bears the words Jeu de passe dix, a pierced and chiselled cock, a spiral balance, and a setting disc. The silvered and guilloché dial of regulator type has off centre hours and minutes, Roman numerals, centre seconds with railway minute track, Arabic numerals, and three apertures for the playing dice. The round hinged case has a guilloché caseband, a smooth back, and a gilt metal bowl with double opening for time setting and key winding, marked jeu de passe dix.
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Diameter 56 mm
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Weight. 115.4 g.
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Signed: No name
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The words jeu de passe dix on this watch’s bowl suggest that the three apertures are for an automaton designed to play dice using a watch mechanism. While the well known 421 combination is familiar today, the origins of gaming dice date back to antiquity, even earlier to 1800 BC in the Rig-Veda writings from India. This piece, rare in the history of timekeeping, also showcases the inventiveness of watchmakers. It was likely a special commission from a well informed collector interested in “dice games”.