French 18ct Gold Guilloche Watch on Chain with Horse Head
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French 18ct gold & guilloche watch on chain, stamped with horse head 18ct fineness mark (1838-1919), 15 jewel manual wind lever escapement, with white enamel dial and Arabic hour markers within a gilt stipple minute track, with subsidiary seconds dial, within an 18ct yellow gold case nicely decorated in blue and white guilloche enamels with radiating sunburst design overlaid in gold with a shaped foliate border, case diameter 28 mm, suspended on a matching 18ct yellow gold fine link chain with cylindrical guilloche enamel spacer links, total length 51 cm, total combined weight 32.48gm, currently winding and running published: "How the watch was worn, a fashion for 500 Years', by Genevieve Cummins, colour plate 373, page 131.
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- Lever Escapement - A lever escapement is a type of escapement mechanism used in mechanical clocks and watches to regulate the timekeeping of the movement. It was invented by British clockmaker Thomas Mudge in the 18th century and is now widely used in modern mechanical timepieces.
The lever escapement consists of three main parts: the escape wheel, the pallet fork, and the lever. The escape wheel is a wheel with teeth that is driven by the clock or watch's main spring or weight. The pallet fork is a two-pronged component that is positioned so that it can engage with the teeth of the escape wheel, and the lever is a small, L-shaped component that is attached to the pallet fork.
When the escape wheel turns, one of its teeth pushes against one of the pallet fork's prongs, causing the fork to pivot. As the pallet fork pivots, it releases the tooth and engages with the next tooth on the opposite side of the escape wheel. At the same time, the lever, which is connected to the pallet fork, rocks back and forth, allowing the escape wheel to turn at a regulated rate.
The lever escapement is prized for its accuracy and reliability and is commonly used in high-end mechanical watches. It allows for precise timekeeping by ensuring that the movement of the watch or clock is regulated and consistent, and its compact size makes it an ideal choice for use in small, portable timepieces. - Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
- Guilloche - A form of classical decoration consisting of a repeating ornament of interlacing curved bands, sometimes forming circles, and further decorated with rosettes or other flower forms.
The name is derived from the inventor, French engineer Guillot, who invented a mechanical method of inscribing fine repeating patterns on to metallic surfaces.
On enamelled items with guilloche decoration, the surface is firstly engraved with the repeating pattern, and then covered with several layers of enamel, each of which is fired.
Where the item has not been enamelled the form of decoration is usually called "engine turned".
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