Lot 452

John Ellicot, London, Movement No. 4836, 51 mm, 135 g, circa 1772
A rare neoclassical gold enamel pocket watch with enamel painting "en grisaille" dedicated to Louis Toussaint "Hercules and Omphale"
Case: protective case - 18K gold, florally engraved. Inner case - 18K gold, case maker's punch mark "TL", numbered and signed movement protection cap. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, firegilt, chain/fusee, brass cylinder wheel, three-arm steel balance.
The back of the case is elaborately engraved and decorated with translucent, cobalt blue enamel palm leaves and festoons on engine-turned ground. A white and blue Champlevé border frames an "en grisaille" painting in the centre, depcting Hercules and Omphale riding on a lion.
The neoclassical grisaille on a brown ground enamel decoration was particularly popular in late 18th century London.
John Ellicott (1706-1791) was one of the most eminent English watch- and clock-makers, established himself in business about 1728 and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1738. Ellicot was the inventor of a compensation pendulum and pushed forward the use of the cylinder escapement only a few years after its improvement by Graham. In some of his later pieces the cylinders were made of ruby.
Louis Toussaint was a London based jeweller and enameller. His son Augustin was apprenticed in 1768 to the renowned enameller and gold chaser George Michael Moser as enamel painter (for the enormous fee of 200 guineas).

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