Swiss 18K gold pair cased Louis XVI pendant watch Circa 1780

Gold verge with the portrait of a young lady
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A fine and rare Swiss 18K gold, enamel and paste-set pair cased Louis XVI pendant watch, circa 1780. Outer: The backset with a painted-on enamel portrait of a young lady holding a book, royal blue enamel and gold paillon border with paste-set border and foliage, band engraved with a repeated pattern, paste-set bezel.
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Inner: A polished case with a deep back. White enamel dial, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with five-minute Arabic numerals and paste-set elaborate hands.
A hinged, frosted gilt full-plate movement with pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance with flat balance spring, single-footed cock with ruby-paste endstone. Dial and movement signed.
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Diameter: 40 mm
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Signed: Jean Robert Soret Geneva
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The case is slightly chipped.
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Jean Robert Soret (1731-1799) was a master watchmaker from a horological family of at least three generations. One member of the family, Frédéric, worked in London, he may have represented the family in the English market.