English silver quarter repeating repoussé watch Circa 1740

Pair cased repeating repoussé verge watch
–
A remarkable English pair cased quarter repeating verge pocket watch with two Jacquemarts and repoussé outer case depicting Pomona, the goddess of fruitful abundance, circa 1740. Full plate movement, chain/fusee, two hammers, three armed steel balance. Silver champlevé dial, central dial aperture for blued disc and pierced gilt dragonhead Jacquemarts.
Silver repoussé outer case, the inner case also silver, lateral florally engraved and pierced, rear bell. The elaborately finished silver outer case is pierced around the edge and decorated with tendrils and flowers, four cartouches with volute ornamentation show the four elements: bird/air, squirrel/earth, dragon/fire and sperm whale/water, another, chased scene to the centre shows Pomona with the cornucopia, her foot resting on a dog lying on the ground, Pomona is handing grapes to a small winged putto who is just emptying out another cornucopia, the exquisitely open worked bezel is ornamented with chased fruit baskets and farm buildings.
–
Diameter: 55 mm
–
Weight: 136 g
–
Signed: Poncet London
–
The engraving on the movement and on the cases is of supreme quality. It is not to be said why the watch should be signed “Poncet London”, as it shows so many German style elements. Most likely it was made by the famous Dresden maker Jean Francois Poncet , who was maker to the court of King Augustus III. It is said that the Poncet family descend from an old Roman family of consuls, they use a legionary eagle in their coat-of-arms and trace their ancestry back to Pontius Pilate. They originally lived near Marseille and had to emigrate from France because of their Calvinist faith. This probably is one of the earliest German pocket watches with automaton and Jacquemart.