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| Index No. A5018 | Rare Gold Set Steel Watch And Chatelaine |
| An 18th Century French verge in a rare gold and silver set steel case and matching chatelaine. Full plate gilt fusee movement. Finely pierced and engraved bridge cock with garnet endstone, plain three arm gilt balance with blue steel spiral hairspring. Silver regulator dial, pentagonal pillars. Winding through the white enamel dial, Roman and Arabic numerals. Fine pierced and engraved gold hands, the minute hand shaped to pass above the winding square which stands proud of the dial. Rare and unusual steel consular case with applied three colour gold and silver decoration depicting a European gentleman offering fruit to an oriental lady in a formal garden. Steel seven joint hinge, gold bezel, inner dome for the movement, pendant and bow. Matching steel and gold chatelaine with four chains, each with cut steel sprung eyes. Cut steel key and gold compass attached to two of the eyes. The steel work on the face of the buckle and cartouches blued. | ||
| Signed | Romilly a Paris - 1000 | |
| Condition | Circa | 1760 |
| Case | Excellent. | ||
| Dial | Excellent. | Diameter | 48 mm |
| Movement | Excellent. | Depth | 10.5 mm |
| A very rare and attractive piece. Using steel to make the case would not have been for reasons of cost as it is a very difficult technique. Rather it would have been done for the striking visual effect. The steel of the case is now polished but would most probably have been blued when new, showing the applied gold and silver in greater contrast. Very few watch cases were made in steel. In addition to the difficulty of working it, it is not a very practical material as easily discolouring and becoming rusty. This watch has not suffered this fate and is in excellent condition. |
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