Swiss gilt pre balance spring, single hand watch Circa 1630

Fine pre balance spring watch
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A very fine and very rare gold, gilt metal and rock crystal pre balance spring, single hand oval pendant watch, circa 1630.  Gilt brass full plate movement with vase baluster pillars, fusee and gut line, four wheel train with five leaf pinions, verge escapement, plain two arm brass balance without spring, irregular elongated gilt one footed cock secured by a screw and pierced and engraved with flowers and foliage, ratchet wheel and click set up.
Gilt brass case, the band with oval hinged rings and oval rock crystal, the bezels set with domed rock crystal and engraved with delicate foliage on the inside and a stiff-leaf pattern on the outside, cast metal pendant, loose ring.
Gold dial, radial Roman black champlevé enamel numerals, decorated with blue, green and red champlevé enamel. Blued steel tulip hand. Signed on the movement.
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Dimentions: 50 x 32 mm
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Signed: J(ean) Rousseau Genèva
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A fine example of a rare pendant form watch produced in Geneva during the first part of the 17th century. It is interesting to notice the remnants of the previous era in its construction – block of the cock as were used for pinning and its S-shaped skeleton. The dial’s pattern follows the Livre contenant passements de moresques by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau, published in France in the 16th Century. Jean Rousseau, le Jeune, (1606-1684) Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s great-grandfather, worked in Geneva where he was famous for high quality watches. He made several form watches, but also complicated watches such as clock watches, alarm watches and astronomical watches. Master of the Clockmakers Company of Geneva, he formed several apprentices: Isaac Bordier, son of Jacques I and Ypollite Noël, in 1631, Jean-François Lachis in 1644, Pierre Bérard in 1649, Antoine Garnier in 1652, Jean Blancher and Amédée Marchand in 1659. He was the son of the famous Jean Rousseau I. Jean Rousseau I, (1580-1642) Maître horloger, he specialised in form watches, notably animals and birds and crucifix watches.