Ranunculus Aquatilis” Paul Bizot

“Ranunculus Aquatilis” Paul Bizot, St. Germain, Paris, circa 1645. Highly important and extremely rare 20K gold and painted on enamel pre-balance spring, single-hand, square pendant watch. Two-body, square, deep back, gold, hinged square bezel engraved with foliate pattern, the back centered with a large taupe and green painted on enamel flower with six petals, surrounded by flowers and foliage, against a black enamel ground, gold frame engraved with foliate pattern, band similarly decorated with taupe and green flowers and foliage. Inside painted with a similar flower and foliage in black on a blue ground. Small gold pendant with loose gold ring. Square, white enamel on copper, radial Roman numerals, inner quarter-hour divisions, center painted with four pink flowers on a blue ribbon, corners painted with similar blue flowers. Blued steel single “poker” hand. Hinged, square, 29.5 mm, gilt brass, vase pillars, fusee and chain (originally gut), four-wheel train with 6-6-6-5-leaf pinions, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance with later blued steel balance spring, irregular cock, worm-gear mainspring set-up, Tompion-type rack-and-pinion regulator.Signed on the back plate.Dim. 40 x 40 mm. Notes Square watches of the 17th century are extremely rare. Only eleven are known to exist: - Paul Bizot, Paris, circa 1645. The present watch. - Balthazar Marthinot, circa 1650. Louvre Collection. - Balthazar Marthinot, circa 1650. Private Collection. - Nicolas Lemaindre, Blois, cir