Skip to main content

Watch: M/P.11-1913

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Beaumarchais, Pierre
Case maker: Prevost, Jean Jacques

Entities

Categories

Description

Verge watch in gilt case with polychrome enamel and protective outer case.
MOVEMENT: Full plate movement engraved 'Caron a Paris'. Balance bridge pierced and chased, polished steel coquette. Polished steel balance. Silver regulation dial engraved 1 to 7, plain blued steel hand. Engraved barrel cock. Engraved foot of counter-potance. Plain, not gilt, replacement cock for contrate. Plain fusee iron post. Case bolt slide in plate with nib slot under dial. Adjustable potance. Counter-potance, with polished steel end piece, and adjustment screw. Pillar plate with four turned pillars, plain central section. Centre wheel recessed. Under dial, centre recessed, double ended cock for third contrate. Polished steel set-up wheel and click with tail as spring. Lightly scratched, under gilding '186' (?). Fusee and chain, set up click under dial, barrel with one lip. Verge escapement. Train planted anti-clockwise.
Upper pivot of fusee runs in a cock screwed to top plate, not an unusual arrangement in French "front wind" watches.

HANDS: Gold, pierced, Louis XV type.

DIAL: White enamel on copper, counter enamel, two feet. Radial Arabic 5 min. figures, ladder min. ring with dots for 5 mins., radial Roman chapters, circle. Winding hole at 3.30

CASE: Gold, consular, enamelled. Bezel chased, with polychrome painted enamel panels of flowers, diamond nib. Body chased with a border having small polychrome enamel panels and diamond push piece. On the back is a polychrome painted enamel panel of a lady seated beside table with a lover behind, basket of flowers on table. Plain pendant, top stamped on side with Discharge mark of Jean Jacques Prevost. Inside case stamped with Charge mark of Jean Jacques Prevost and Paris date letter B (1765), also makers mark, not clear, of 'JO' or 'JC'? above 'A'? all under a star.

PROTECTIVE CASE (A) Gilt brass covered with green shagreen, single ring of pins on bezel and body, glazed back.

Legal notes

Frank Gray Smart Bequest

Place(s) associated

  • Paris ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1913-06-05) by Smart, Frank Gray

Dating

18th Century
Production date: circa AD 1765

Components of the work

Outer Case composed of gilt brass shagreen
Press Piece composed of diamonds
Dial, Painting composed of enamel
Hands, Cases composed of gold
Regulation Dial composed of silver
Balance, End Stone composed of steel
Movement (top Plate) Diameter 22.75 mm
Movement (pillar Plate) Diameter 24.25 mm
Inner Case Diameter 34.25 mm Height 38 mm Thickness 15.5 mm
Protective Case Diameter 37 mm Height 41.25 mm Thickness 17.75 mm
Movement (pillar) Height 3.5 mm
Decoration
Dial
Hands, Movement
Movement

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Caron a Paris
  • Location: Movement
  • Method of creation: Engraved
  • Type: Maker's name
  • Text: 186
  • Location: Movement
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Number
  • Text: Charge mark of Jean Jacques Prevost
  • Location: Inside case
  • Method of creation: Stamped
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: date letter B
  • Location: Inside case
  • Method of creation: Stamp
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: Discharge mark of Jean Jacques Prevost
  • Location: Top of case pendent
  • Type: Mark

Inscription present: unclear

  • Text: JO or JC, above an A. Under a star
  • Location: Inside case
  • Type: Maker's mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M/P.11-1913
Primary reference Number: 207144
11096
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Friday 27 November 2015 Updated: Wednesday 14 March 2018 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Watch" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/207144 Accessed: 2024-11-22 00:30:34

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/207144 |title=Watch |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 00:30:34|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-207144

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...