Lot 79

French, 29 x 41 x 24 mm, 42 g, circa 1580
A single-handed, octagonal pre-haispring miniature verge neck watch in a rock crystal case
Case: brass, firegilt, facetted rock crystal cover, middle part and back lid, engraved frame, five-piece lateral hinge. Dial: firegilt, elaborately engraved, flower décor and figurative staffage, chapter ring with engraved radial Roman numerals, the centre decorated with an engraved bouquet of flowers, single blued steel hand. Movm.: octagonal full plate movement, firegilt, gut/fusee, baluster-shaped movement pillars, verge escapement, plain iron two-armed pre-hairspring balance, finely pierced and floral decorated balance cock, top lock with blued click work.
Neck Watches
The oval shape was the dominant watch form in the mid-sixteenth century. By the end of the century other geometrically shaped watches like square, hexagonal, trapezoidal, and circular became fashionable. Octagonal watches, for example, began to appear around 1575. Although most circular and octagonal watches have circular movements, the shape of this movement is octagonal. The watch cases were usually made from brass or silver; only very rarely were they created from hollowed-out rock crystal or amethyst.

Sold