"Louis XIV Single-hand Onion Watch By The Lyonnais Watchmaker (nicolas Bouquet), Circa 1680."
Magnificent and rare 17th century single-hand onion by Nicolas Bouquet, circa 1680.Gilt brass dial with enamel cartouches, single steel hand. Gilt brass movement, with verge escapement, baluster pillars, chain, fusee, and very beautiful openwork cock, decorated with scrolls, birds and flowers.
Reverse winding on the square in the center of the hand.
Very beautiful gilt brass case, entirely engraved in the style of Bérain, with scrolls, characters, animals and flowers.
Perfect condition.
I remain at your disposal for any additional information or photos.
Contrary to what Tardy wrote in his dictionary of French watchmakers (whose quality I do not dispute), Nicolas Bouquet was not Parisian, but from Lyon. Son of Bertrand Boucquet, and Madeleine Fauget, he married Marianne Tondart. He had his shop in 1682 on the back of the Fayard house in the rue de flandre. He was a Protestant, and as he refused to abjure, he left Lyon after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. His property was seized and sold in 1686; He first went to Geneva, and finally settled in London where he continued his trade as a watchmaker. The watchmaking department of the British Museum preserves two watches of fine quality made by him, but in a typically English style of the end of the 17th century.
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