Baltazar Martineau à Paris

Baltazar Martineau à Paris, circa 1680. Very rare and fine, 20 ct. gold leather covered, early balance spring watch without fusee. Double body, glazed on both faces, the leather covered bezels with a gold piqué-work decoration. Gold champleve, with Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute ring. Blued steel poker hands. Full plate with turned urn pillars, going barrel, verge escapement with plain steel three armed balance and original early balance spring. Single foot oval, gilt brass cock, secured by a screw, pierced in such a way the balance spring can be seen. Signed on the back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 44 mm. Notes Typical of the earliest watches, made in France, with a balance spring, this is a very good example of the preoignon watches. Still with a single foot as with most of the early French cocks, it is specially designed to reveal the balance spring which can be seen even through the glazed back of the case. The invention of the balance spring by Huygens in 1675, was such an improvement, that many watchmakers thought they could now dispose of the relatively expensive fusee. Following Gloria, many makers in Rouen, were stil] producing fusee-less watches, as laie as 1700. Their watches were fitted with a power indicator, set on the barrel, showing the best 30 hours of the mainspring development.