French gilt and leather verge with Egyptian pillars Circa 1690

Gilt and leather verge pocket watch with central winding
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A French gilt and leather verge pocket watch with Egyptian pillars and central winding, circa 1690,  balance cock pierced and engraved with scrolls
Gilt case covered with leather and decorated with pique pins, original enamel dial, single steel hand, central winding.
White enamel dial with Roman numerals
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 152 g
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Signed: Thuret a  Paris
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Isaac Thuret II (c. 1630 -1706) Was considered to be the greatest clockmaker of his time. Clockmaker to Louis XIV and to the Observatory. Claimed invention of spiral balance spring, but denied it in a letter to Huygens in 1675, saying that the invention claimed was the use of a flat spring for pendulum support. Made watches with balance spring for Huygens, and a clock for Leiden Observatory to Huygens’ order. The great Leibniz called him “Thuret the famous clock-maker”, Germain Brice praised the Academie des Sciences clockmaker with a profound knowledge of mathematics, who has made a great contribution to the improvement of clocks and the astronomer Richer maintained that Thuret by his exactitude and the delicacy of his work has now surpassed all those involved in making watches and pendulum clocks. Thuret’s activity was intense: the King, the Royal Family, the ministers, the great financiers and members of the nobility were all his clients. 
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Dial with restoration at nine o’clock. Case, some pique pins missing and leather repairs.
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Reference 042000