Swiss gilded brass and rock crystal verge watch Circa 1650-1660

Verge watch with in case of rock crystal by Jean Rousseau
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A rare Swiss gilded brass and rock crystal verge watch, circa 1650-1660.
This exquisite timepiece boasts a gilded brass and partly blued movement, adorned with intricately engraved. The silver and black enamel dial features radial Roman hour numerals and half-hour divisions, with a centre beautifully engraved with flowers and foliage, complemented by the original gilded brass hand. The rock crystal case is mounted in gilded brass, with a stunning twelve-lobed rock crystal cover over the dial and another over the back. The back plate bears the signature of the master craftsman who created this lovely piece.
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Diameter: 41 mm
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Signed: Jean Rousseau
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Constantijn Huygens wrote to his brother, the brilliant mathematician Christiaan Huygens, from Geneva on January 5, 1650, that he had just bought a watch “á la mode” with a case of rock crystal that permitted a view of the movement such as one would see if the case were made of ice.
Indeed, Geneva was well-known for its rock crystal watchcases made from a local mineral source. The movement of this watch has a verge escapement, and it is probably the product of the younger Jean Rousseau, a son of a master clockmaker in Geneva and the great-grandfather of the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.