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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Pocket watch

Gold watch with enamel back

Partially verified

This gold pocket watch, held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (accession number BK-15100), dates to 1780. The watch is constructed from gold and features borders decorated with pearls. The reverse of the watch case displays an enamel painting depicting an altar of love. The white dial is marked with the name "Breguet à Paris", although the museum documentation identifies this inscription as a contemporary forgery. The watch measures 4.6 cm in diameter, with a total height of 6.5 cm including the pendant and a depth of 2 cm. The object is classified by the museum as jewellery and a watch. It serves as a record of period imitations produced in response to the reputation of the Breguet workshop in Paris. The watch remains in the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum.

Front view of the gold pocket watch with pearl-set bezel and dial signed Breguet.
Front view of the gold pocket watch with pearl-set bezel and dial signed Breguet. — Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Not established
Reference
BK-15100
Catalogue / lot identifier
BK-15100
Source-reported date
1780
Source-reported place
Not established

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 External Decoration

The watch is housed in a gold case characterized by its decorative application of pearl borders surrounding the dial perimeter. These pearls are set into the frame of the watch, which contributes to its status as a piece of jewellery.

On the rear side of the watch, the case features an enamel painting. This artistic application depicts a specific scene identified by the museum as an altar of love. The overall dimensions of the watch include a diameter of 4.6 cm and a total depth of 2 cm, with a height of 6.5 cm when measuring to the top of the pendant bow.

Evidence for this section
  • “Gold watch with pearl borders.”
  • “On the back cover is an enamel painting depicting an altar of love.”
  • “diameter 4.6 cm x height 6.5 cm x width 4.6 cm x depth 2 cm”

Dial and Inscriptions

The watch face consists of a white dial featuring Arabic numerals for the hour indices.

According to the documentation provided by the Rijksmuseum, this signature is not considered an authentic mark of the workshop of Abraham-Louis Breguet. The museum classifies the object specifically as a forgery, indicating that the mark was applied at the time the watch was created to associate the object with the reputation of the Paris firm.

Evidence for this section
  • “The dial is marked: Breguet à Paris, but it is a contemporary forgery.”
  • “Museum classification jewellery · wrist watch · forgery”

Provenance and Documentation

This object is part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, registered under the number BK-15100.

The records maintained by the Rijksmuseum provide the material and dimensional specifications for the piece, identifying it within their jewellery and horology categories.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as BK-15100”
  • “The high status and prestige of the Paris workshop prompted illicit imitations, including contemporary period forgeries bearing its mark.”

Open research questions

  • What type of movement is contained within the case?
  • What are the specific materials used for the enamel painting on the reverse?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Gold watch with enamel back
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Accession numberBK-15100“BK-15100”
Materialgold“gold (metal)”
Measurements4.6 cm diameter x 6.5 cm height x 2 cm depth“diameter 4.6 cm x height 6.5 cm x width 4.6 cm x depth 2 cm”
Decorationpearl borders and enamel painting“Gold watch with pearl borders. On the back cover is an enamel painting depicting an altar of love.”
MarkingsBreguet à Paris“The dial is marked: Breguet à Paris, but it is a contemporary forgery.”

Visible details

  • Pearl-bordered gold case
  • White dial with Arabic numerals
  • Signature 'Breguet à Paris' on dial
  • Enamel painting of an altar of love on the reverse

Research qualifications

  • The 'Breguet à Paris' mark is identified as a contemporary forgery
  • Specific technical details regarding the movement mechanism are not provided in the source

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

Consulted source

Watch, 1780 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, BK-15100)

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 8f9c21519c

Terms in this record

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

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