Super thin French gold ‘Art Nouveau’ lady’s watch Circa 1907

Gold with Ruby’s lever watch 
–
An exquisite Art Nouveau lady’s lepine set with ruby baguettes, Lacloche Frères Paris, import punch London, circa 1907. An 18K gold, elegant thin case, case band completely set with ruby baguettes, fine lever movement, silvered original dial, Breguet steel hands, in excellent condition.
–
Diameter: 27 mm
–
Weight: 14 g
–
Signed: Lacloche Frères Paris
–
Lacloche is an important name for finest Art Nouveau & Art Deco pieces: The history of Lacloche is a bit complicated because they had various companies and businesses in France and Spain dating back to 1892 before the brothers Leopold, Jacques, Jules and Fernand founded the company. The company was famous for its fabulous Art Deco jewels and pieces, which we associate with the name today. After the tragic death of Jacques in a train accident in 1900, the remaining three brothers seem to have pooled their finances in Paris to form Lacloche Freres and settled down in Rue de la Paix 15 in 1901. There they worked with some of the best designers, workshops and suppliers in Paris to establish the reputation of the name Lacloche. In 1908 Lacloche had a total of seven European shops, including Madrid and London. The business ran well and the brothers benefited quickly. At that time, beautiful jewellery and watches were produced, including a pendulum clock, the result of a cooperation between several exceptional craftsmen: Lalique, Verger, Vacheron Constantin and the enamel painter Paillet. Keeping pace with fashion trends was not only important for the business, but also for its commercial attractiveness. It is interesting to note that pieces from this period were more like the diamond and gem set designs of the time than the Art Nouveau styles. In 1917 Lacloche bought the remaining stock from Faberge’s London shop.