Swiss gold triple-cased quarter repeating verge watch Circa 1750

Gold and leather-covered watch by F. Gaudin
–
A fine Swiss gold and leather-covered triple-cased quarter repeating repoussé verge watch, circa 1750. The watch features a gilded full plate movement with verge escapement, a decoratively pierced balance cock and foot engraved with scrolling flowers and foliage, a silver regulation disc, flat balance, decorative diamond end stone, fusee and chain, square baluster pillars, and a gilt metal dust cap. Both the movement and dust cap are signed and numbered by F. Gaudin à Nyon. The gold dial features a chased and engraved centre with two birds surrounded by scrolling foliage. It also includes enamel roundels with Roman numerals for minutes, Arabic numeral roundels for minutes, and quarter hours, as well as blued steel decoratively pierced hands.
–
The watch has three cases: a gold inner case with decorative piercing and engravings of birds, dolphins’ heads, scrolling foliage, and a mask at the base. The back of the inner case has an engraved boss, stirrup-form bow, and pendant with decorative chased bosses. The mid-case is repoussé and features a scene depicting Achilles’ quarrel with Agamemnon, surrounded by scrolling flowers and foliage divided by four panels, each with a putto representing the four seasons. The front bezel has pierced and engraved sections separated by four panels depicting townscapes, a swan, and a rabbit, with a pulsing piece to the band at 7 o’clock. The outer case is gilt metal and leather covered, with pierced roundels for sound emission and a gold pinwork in the form of a stylized star at the centre of the back. The roundels on both bezels are separated by gold pins.
–
Diameter: 49 mm
–
Signed: F. Gaudin à Nyon
–
The watch is in attractive overall condition, with some light hairlines on a few of the enamel roundels and a small chip on the top right edge of the numeral at 3 o’clock. The dial decoration still retains good definition. The inner case has a slight depression to the band, but the decorative scheme retains good clarity. There are no marks on the inside case back beneath the bell, and the bell itself is deeply engraved with ‘BC’ on either side of the central fixing hole. The repoussé case is in good overall condition with some light rubbing to the most exposed areas. The leather of the outer case is also in good overall condition, although it is lacking a couple of the decorative gold pins. All cases fit well together and the covers close securely. The movement is not running, but the repetition is operational and sounding loud and clear to the bell, and the pulsing piece is also operational.
–
F. Gaudin is listed in Baillie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers, as working in Nyon in the mid-18th century.