SILVER POCKET WATCH M Marseilles Ca. 1650 France

M&R 228

SILVER POCKET WATCH
Signed: M Marseilles
Circa 1650
France

Movement
The spring-driven movement is constructed between two gilt-brass plates that are connected by pillars and consists of going and alarm trains. The going train has a spring barrel, wire fusee and a verge escapement with balance. The alarm train has a bell. The backplate shows the two winding squares, the elegantly pierced and engraved balance cock and the pretension system for the mainspring. The watchmaker signed the watch on the edge of the backplate with elegant letters: M Marseilles.

Dial
The circular, silver chapter ring has a fire-gilt brass chapter ring with black Roman hour numerals and half-hour markers. The time is indicated by a beautifully made blued steel hand with a tulip motif at the tip. In the centre is a silver alarm disc with Arabic hour numerals. The centre of the alarm disc is beautifully engraved depicting vine and floral motifs. The alarm time is set by turning the alarm disc, the alarm time being indicated by the tail of the hour hand.

Case
The movement is housed in a richly engraved and pierced silver case with floral, vine and leaf motifs depicted all around. The dial is protected by a convex glass in a bezel, with a clasp at the bottom to open the case. When the case is opened, a small catch is visible with which the hinged movement can be rotated out of the case. The bell is attached to the inside of the case, while there is a supension eye at the top.

Duration: one day
Diameter: 4.5 cm.

Literature
Tardy, Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, p. 434.

The maker
The watchmaker M Marseilles worked in Toulon around the middle of the 17th century.