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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Quarter repeating pocket watch

French 18k Gold Quarter Repeating Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This open-face pocket watch, attributed to Bailly of Rue de Richelieu, Paris, dates to the early 19th century. The watch features an 18k gold case with engine-turned decoration and a slim, machine-turned mid-band. The white enamel dial is accented with black Arabic numerals and blue-steel Breguet-style hands. Internally, it is powered by a gilt bar movement equipped with a suspended going barrel, a three-armed gold balance wheel with a blued steel hairspring, and a ratchet-tooth lever escapement. The quarter-repeating mechanism is actuated via the pendant, striking on two polished steel square-section gongs. The inner cuvette, constructed of gilded metal, bears the signature of the maker and his Paris address. Winding and time-setting are performed using a key.

Front view showing the white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and blued steel hands.
Front view showing the white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and blued steel hands. — Zamanito. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
zamanito.com
Category
Pocket watch · Quarter repeating pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Bailly
Reference
1386
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
early 19th century
Source-reported place
France

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case and Dial

The watch is housed in an open-face 18k gold case, finished with precise engine-turned (guilloché) patterns on the reverse.

The dial is crafted from high-quality white enamel, presenting a clean contrast against the applied black Arabic numerals. Time is indicated by Breguet-style hands fashioned from blued steel, consistent with the functional elegance found in early 19th-century French timepieces.

Evidence for this section
  • “بدنه ساعت از نوع روباز (Open Face) بوده و از طلای ۱۸ عیار با تراش و نقش‌اندازی ماشینی ظریف (Engine turned) ساخته شده است”
  • “صفحه ساعت از جنس مینای سفید باکیفیت بوده و دارای ارقام عربی متمایز و عقربه‌های فولادی آبی‌رنگ طرح برگه (Breguet hands) است”

Movement and Repeating Mechanism

The movement is a gilt bar construction, featuring a suspended going barrel. Regulation is provided by a three-armed gold balance wheel paired with a blued steel hairspring. The watch employs a ratchet-tooth lever escapement for timekeeping.

The quarter-repeating function is initiated by depressing the pendant. This action causes hammers to strike two polished steel gongs of square section, providing an auditory indication of the time in quarters.

Evidence for this section
  • “موتور ساعت از نوع پل‌دار با روکش طلا (Gilt bar movement) و مجهز به مخزن فنر آویزان (Suspended going barrel) است”
  • “مکانیزم زنگ ربع‌زن از طریق فشار دادن پندانت (دسته ساعت) فعال شده و بر روی دو گونگ فولادی پولیش‌خورده با مقطع مربع ضربه می‌زند”

Signatures and Attribution

The internal dust cover, or cuvette, is made of gilded metal and serves as the location for the maker's identification. The inscription includes the maker's name, Bailly, along with the professional location at Rue de Richelieu, Paris.

This signature, combined with the key-wind mechanism, links the watch to the workshop of Bailly in early 19th-century Paris. The identification is preserved on the cuvette, which also facilitates the necessary access for manual winding and adjustment of the movement.

Evidence for this section
  • “درب محافظ داخلی (Cuvette) از فلز طلاکاری‌شده بوده و نام سازنده و نشانی پاریس (Bailly / Rue de Richelieu à Paris) بر روی آن حکاکی شده است”

Open research questions

  • Confirm the full name and production timeline for the maker Bailly at Rue de Richelieu, Paris.
  • Determine the specific metallurgical composition of the gilded metal cuvette compared to the 18k gold case.

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for French 18k Gold Quarter Repeating Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerBailly“Bailly / Rue de Richelieu à Paris”
Case Material18k gold“طلای ۱۸ عیار”
EscapementRatchet tooth lever“Ratchet tooth escapement with right angle lever”
MechanismQuarter repeater“مکانیزم تکرارکننده ربع‌زن (Quarter Repeating)”
WindingKey-wind“کوک و تنظیم ساعت نیز از طریق همین بخش با کلید مخصوص انجام می‌گیرد”
DatingEarly 19th Century“اوایل قرن نوزدهم”
CountryFrance“فرانسه (پاریس)”
Movement typeGilt bar“Gilt bar movement”

Visible details

  • Blue steel Breguet hands
  • Engine-turned gold caseback
  • Pendant-activated quarter-repeating mechanism
  • 18k gold case construction

Research qualifications

  • Operational status of the repeating mechanism and mainsprings is not stated
  • Accuracy and internal authenticity of inscriptions require expert inspection

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

French Gold Quarter Repeating Lever

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 8fe2364fca

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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