P. Sebeult à Paris

P. Sebeult à Paris, circa 1660. Extremely fine and rare, small, 20 ct. gold and enamel, pre-balance spring watch. Double body, bassine with loose-ring pendant, overlaid with gold enamelled pink flowers, chased in high relief (slightly restored) the inside painted with a spray of pink and black flowers with bees and butterflies, over a white ground. White enamel with Roman numerals, the centre with a small rosette. Blued steel single hand. Hinged gilt brass full plate with turned baluster pillars, three wheel train, fusee with gutline, verge escapement, two-arm balance without spring, irregular oval florally pierced and engraved gilt brass cock secured by a screw ( restored). Worm-and-wheel set-up with blued steel bracket. Signed on the back plate. In good condition. Diam. 26 mm. Notes Extremely rare form of case decoration with an inner gold skin overlaid with an embossed and pierced cage work, decorated with flowers enamelled in high relief. A few example of watches decorated with this technic are still in existence, but this appears to be the smallest. The floral decoration inside the case is typical of XVIIth century French enamelling.