Swiss 18 carat gold verge watch with diamonds and repeater Circa 1800

Multi coloured gold watch with diamonds and pearls
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A rare multi coloured gold verge watch with diamonds, pearl setting and repeater, a probably original gold key on a beautiful multi coloured gold chain, made by Louis Duchêne & Fils in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1800. The case of this watch, which was crafted from 18 carat multi coloured gold, features a back with floral relief and diamonds and both sides are set with Oriental pearls. The beautiful engine turned gold dial has Roman hour numerals and filigree steel hands. The numbered movement features a verge escapement and a repeater for the hours and quarters.
The cuvette and movement are signed and have matching numbers.
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Diameter: 41 mm
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Weight: 47 g
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Signed: Ls Duchêne & Fils
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Duchêne
Louis Duchêne (1730–1804) was a renowned master watchmaker in Geneva, Switzerland, famous for creating high complication and finely enamelled pocket watches, particularly those featuring intricate automaton scenes. He established his company around 1750 in Geneva and was highly regarded for manufacturing watches with a wide range of complications, including minute repeaters, petite and grande sonneries (chiming mechanisms), date displays, and jumping hours.

His most celebrated creations were extraordinary automaton watches, which featured animated scenes (such as a lady on a swing pushed by a gentleman, or a windmill) on the dial, a complex speciality of the era.

The cases of his watches often featured elaborate, fine enamelling, a highly valued art form in Genevan watchmaking. His timepieces were known for their precision and reliability and were exported worldwide, including to China.
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In 1791, Duchêne’s son joined the business as a partner and the firm was renamed Louis Duchêne & Fils (Louis Duchêne & Son). The company continued to operate under this name until around 1820-1830, producing highly decorative and technically advanced watches, many of which are now found in museums and private collections worldwide.
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The historical Swiss watchmaker’s legacy was revived in 2004 with the launch of the modern L’Duchen brand, which aims to keep to the centuries old traditions of the original company, focusing on classic design techniques like guilloché patterns and hand made paintings on their contemporary watches.