Decorative French gold and enamel pocket watch Circa 1790

Gold verge watch with enamel scene
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A decorative French 18 carat gold and enamel open faced keywinding Directoire pocket watch, made by Breguet in Paris, circa 1790. The case back with a scene showing a couple of young people, the young man in a Turkish dress, the young woman dressed in white and covering herself with a blue coat. The painting on enamel on gold, attributable to Jean-Louis Richter (1766-1841), Geneva; bezels, pendant and bow with a décor of gold paillons. White enamel dial with suspended Arabic numerals and yellow gold Poker & Beetle hands. A full plate, gilded brass movement, fusee and chain, verge escapement, monometallic balance and blued steel flat hairspring, pierced and engraved gilded continental cock. Signature on the dial and movement.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 72 g
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Signed: Breguet, Paris
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Richter, Jean-Louis (1766-1841)
Learned his art in Geneva under David-Etienne Roux and Philippe-Samuel-Théodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His speciality was the painting of landscapes and particularly lakeside scenes and marine scenes, often representing ships in a harbour or battles with fighting Men of War, but, on occasion, also portraits and hunting scenes. He did not often sign his work, but it is clearly recognised as being in his hand from the style and quality of the painting.
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He applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff-boxes, and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. In 1828, he was in partnership with Aimé-Julien Troll (1781-1852), and one can find work signed “Richter et Troll”. Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion, particularly Claude Vernet or the romanticised English and Irish rural life.