Montre ronde émaillée

Historical significance

• The cover is decorated with an enamel portrait of Philip IV (1605-1665), King of Spain. His wife, Maria-Anna of Austria, is presented in a pendant on the back of the case. Both medallions are framed by a garland of flowers and ribbons, also painted on enamel. This floral decoration, repeated on the caseband and at the centre of the dial, is exactly like the designs engraved by Gilles Légaré and Jacques Vauquer. Rendered naturalistically, it is composed of bows along with daisies, tulips and strawberry flowers in full bloom.
• The dial features painted black Roman numerals on a white enamel chapter ring. The centre is decorated with chased and enamelled gold flowers, while the hand is fashioned in steel and blued.
• The movement has a fusee with gut line and a verge escapement. The annular balance is protected by a gilded brass balance cock, pierced, like the pawl cover, with flowers.
• Watches decorated with portraits became popular with the emergence of enamel painting, around 1630. A few pieces portraying famous people survive from the 17th century. A watch in the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, for example, is embellished with enamel-painted busts of King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu (Inv. N°7543-1861).
• The portrait of Philippe IV on the watch described here might have been copied from the painting by Velasquez (1599-1660) sent to the archduke by the king himself in 1663. Whatever the case, it is the same as that engraved by Baltazart Moncornet in 1663.

Sources & references

1. Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. I-1120: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/38801/

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.