G. Prieur

G. Prieur, (Bordeaux), circa 1600. A fine and very rare large oval gilt-metal and silver cased Puritan style watch with compass and sundial. Three body, the gilt-metal band with applied silver overlay engraved with bird inhabited foliage on a hatched ground, gilt covers, the back with engraved horizontal sundial, with pierced and florally engraved hinged gnomon and inset magnetic compass marked for North/South points with blued-steel needle. Oval gilt metal with engraved Roman numerals and heart shaped half hour marks. Single blued-steel beetle pattern hand. Oval, secured by a lockspring and located with four lugs, gilt plates, turned balluster pillars with gut fusee, three wheel train with verge escapement, plain two arm steel balance, pierced and florally engraved balance cock of regular outline secured by a pin with matching ratchet wheel set up cock and blued-steel wheel and click spring. Signed on the movement. In excellent condition. Dim. 72 x 45 mm. Notes While as yet apparently unrecorded in contemporary records, the style of engraving and form of the balance cock suppose a date towards the very end of the 16th century. The extreme similarity of this watch to the example signed by Chapelle, along with certain stylistic details make it certain that Prieur also worked in the region of Bordeaux. Indeed, the overall size, wheel train and movement layout are so similar as to indicate that they were both completed from identical ebauches or 'mouvements en blanc'. Al Read more…