German fire gilt open faced oignon pocket watch Circa 1720

Fire gilt oignon watch 
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A rare and fine German gilt brass oignon pocket watch, circa 1720. Fire gilded brass case, the back with a polychrome enamel portrait of a lady in a powdered wig, blue dress and red cape, lateral cartouches with landscape motifs separated by yellow volutes and ornamental bands, a cartouche signed Mussard pinxit near the lower edge, on the inside a monochrome painting of an idealized landscape with a wayfaring man on a light blue ground. White enamel dial with blue radial Roman hours and blued fleur de lys hands. Signed fire gilt full plate movement, key wind, chain and fusee, Egyptian pillars, three arm steel balance, pierced balance cock with finely engraved birds, fish and mascarons.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Weight: 127 g
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Signed: Michael Brosi
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Jean Mussard V was born and died in Geneva, 1681-1754. He was one of the best enamel painters of the early 18th century, the son of Jean IV and a cousin of the Huauds. He began his career as a goldsmith and became a Master on December 7th, 1699. He later became a painter on enamel, in which discipline he was influenced by the style of Les Frères Huaud. Although he clearly was inspired by their work, his paintings were more according to the taste of the time, they showed religious designs as well as purely secular ones. He went into partnership with his son Jean-Antoine and trained several pupils, among them Gabriel Fontaine, André Oettner and in 1712, Germain Colladon. The scene ‘The Death of Cleopatra’ can be found on several of his enamel watches, but two of his best known subjects are ‘Roman Charity’ and ‘Religious Scene’. His signature appears as ‘Mussard’, ‘Jean Mussard pinx’ and ‘Mussard pinx’.