Oval French gold and enamel verge pendant watch Circa 1630

Gold and enamel oval verge watch by Jean Baptiste Vallier
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An exceptional French gold and polychrome enamel pendant watch, circa 1630. The watch features a signed gilded full plate movement with a verge escapement, an intricately pierced pinned-on balance cock adorned with floral engravings, a flat brass balance, wheel and click set-up, a fusee and gut line, and turned baluster pillars. Its gold champlevé enamel dial showcases translucent green, orange, and red polychrome enamel flowers on a white enamel background, along with an opaque turquoise enamel flower above the 12 o’clock position. The chapter ring displays gold Roman numerals against a deep blue translucent enamel ground, complemented by a broken blued steel turned hand. The gold case, bezel, and pendant are similarly decorated.
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Length including pendant: 40 mm
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Width: 27 mm
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Signed: J Vallier à Lyon.
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The case of this watch is richly decorated with cloisonné and champlevé enamels; their vibrant colours lend the watch a jewel-like quality. In the early part of the 17th century, French cases were among the finest in Europe, and the city of Lyon was an important centre of watchmaking. Jean Vallier, who worked in Lyon, was one of the most important makers of the period, and in 1602 he became a master watchmaker. Tardy notes in his Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français that Vallier was a journeyman from 1590–1596, was married in 1605 to Madeleine Noytolon and died in 1649. One of the most famous watches by Jean Vallier may be found in the collections of the British Museum and is illustrated in Watches by David Thompson (British Museum 2008), pp. 34–35.
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Vallier, Jean Baptiste (died 1649), was a renowned French watchmaker. The son of François Vallier, originally from Lyon, he began his career as a journeyman from 1590 to 1596 and later became a master in 1602. Vallier was known for producing a significant number of high-quality clocks, including oval, octagonal, tulip, and star-shaped cases, often featuring rock crystal glaze. One of his most notable works is an intricately decorated oval-neck clock with astronomical information, a striking mechanism, and an alarm clock. Additionally, a stunning silver pocket watch made by Vallier can be found in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. This star-shaped timepiece features engraved dials and is enclosed at the front and back with crystal plates. (1902)
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The dial has multiple hairline cracks, enamel loss on the flower heads, small chips, and repairs to the white enamel along the edge in an arc by the catch. There are also repairs to the enamel by the gold tags, and the blued steel hand is broken in half and shows signs of rust. The case exhibits loss to the enamel of the flower heads, small chips, and several hairline cracks, especially close to the catch, where repairs have been made to the enamel and the bezel. The movement is not running, showing signs of rust and appears to be seized. The wheel and click are also rusty.