Skip to main content

Watch: M/P.12-1913

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Vauche, Daniel
Case maker: Fouche, Jean-Baptiste

Entities

Categories

Description

Repeating verge watch in an enamelled case.
MOVEMENT: Full plate movement engraved 'Vauche a la Cite A PARIS N 7374 12/78'. Balance bridge pierced and engraved with polished steel coquette. Brass balance. Silver regulation dial, with radial Arabic numbers 2, 3, 5 and 6 with 'A' and 'R' at ends. Thin blued steel hand. Plain fusee pivot cock. Plain counter-potance foot on back plate. Plate engraved as above and with repeating regulation scale with 'L' and 'V' at ends. Square fusee iron post with decorative chamfers on corners. Polished steel case bolt, nib in brass edge. Adjustable potance. Counter-potance with polished steel end plate and adjusting screw. Polished steel hour and quarter hammers. Repeating main spring attached to outside of barrel. Pulse piece in brass edge. Pillar plate with 4 turned pillars, under dial cock for contrate pivot.
Fusee and chain with set up click under barrel. Verge escapement. Train planted anti-clockwise. Repeating train with five pinions and depthing pinion, planted anti-clockwise. Hour hammer clockwise. Clockwise quarter hammer having head next to repeating main wheel. Front winding

REPEATING MECHANISM: 1/4 mechanism, polished steel with chain from repeating rack to repeating arbour via. pulley. All-or-nothing releasing 1/4 rack by movement of pivoted lever having hour snail mounted on it. Typical 'French.'

BRASS EDGE: With chased vertical lines, screwed to pillar plate under dial. Scratched '656', 'DF' and 'DB' under dial.

BELL: Scratched on outside 'Drury', covers movement.

HANDS: Silver, set with diamonds, gold disc set in centre of hour hand.

DIAL: White enamel on copper, radial Arabic 5 min. figures outside ladder minute circle with 5 min. dots, radial Roman chapters. Winding hole at 2 o'clock. Dial fixed by screw at IX and located by two feet. Counter enamel scored '1124'.

CASE: Gold consular with body and bezel having a circle of diamonds around opening, pulse piece at 7-30. Bands of chased gold around bezel and body edge, twisted cord pattern with pierced centres and slots at edge of body. Back with translucent orange enamel over circular chasing, around a central oval of diamonds around polychrome chrome plaque depicting a woman offering a garland of flowers to a fire on a garlanded pillar altar of love. Four coloured gold flowers and garlands and swags encrusted in diamonds applied over the enamel ring. The pendant and movement ring is fixed to the body of the case by snapping to the body and secured by a screw near the pendant.
Pendant stamped with discharge mark of Jean-Baptestire Fouche and makers mark 'DB' conjoined. Pendant has a diamond at the end, bow with a line of diamonds set along top. Case opening scratched with '317' and '05/V/-'. Inside of body stamped '6/56' and incuse 'MR'.

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 1775

Components of the work

Dial composed of enamel ( on copper) copper
Hands composed of silver
Regulation Dial composed of silver
Movement composed of steel
Balance composed of brass (alloy)
Movement (top Plate) Diameter 30.5 mm
Movement (pillar Plate) Diameter 32.25 mm
Brass Edge (brass Edge) Diameter 34.75 mm
Case Diameter 43 mm Height 57.25 mm Thickness 24 mm
Movement (pillar) Height 3.5 mm
Case, Brass Edge

Materials used in production

Diamonds

Techniques used in production

Engraving

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Vauche a la Cite A PARIS N 7374 12/78
  • Location: Movement
  • Method of creation: Engraved
  • Type: Maker's name
  • Text: 656, DF and DB
  • Location: Brass edge
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Marks
  • Text: 1124
  • Location: Dial
  • Method of creation: Scored
  • Type: Number
  • Text: A foot
  • Location: Pendant
  • Method of creation: Stamped
  • Type: Discharge mark

Inscription present: conjoined with the discharge mark

  • Text: DB
  • Location: Pendant
  • Type: Maker's mark
  • Text: 317 and 05/V/-
  • Location: Case opening
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Number
  • Text: 6/56 and MR
  • Location: Inside case
  • Method of creation: Stamped

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M/P.12-1913
Primary reference Number: 207145
Watch number: 7374 12/78
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://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/207145 Accessed: 2024-03-28 08:52:19

Citation for Wikipedia

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

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/207145 |title=Watch |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-03-28 08:52:19|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://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-207145

More objects and works of art you might like

Watch stand

Accession Number: C.87-1928

Watch

Accession Number: M/P.1-1916

Watchstand with figure of Georgraphy

Accession Number: C.976-1928

Suggested products from Curating Cambridge

You might be interested in this...

Sign up for updates

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