Lot 26

Poncet, London, Movement No. 225, 55 mm, 136 g, circa 1740
A remarkable pair-cased quarter repeating verge pocket watch of high quality with two jacquemarts and repoussé outer case "Pomona, the goddess of fruitful abundance"
Case: outer case - silver, repoussé decoration. Inner case - silver, lateral florally engraved and pierced, rear bell. Dial: silver champlevé, central dial aperture for blued disc and pierced gilt dragonhead jacquemarts. Movm.: full plate movement, chain/fusee, 2 hammers, three-arm steel balance.
The elaborately finished silver outer case is pierced around the edge and decorated with tendrils and flowers. Four cartouches with volute ornamentation show the four elements: bird/air, squirrel/earth, dragon/fire and sperm whale/water. Another, chased scene in the centre shows Pomona with the cornucopia, her foot resting on a dog lying on the ground. Pomona is handing grapes to a small winged putto who is just emptying out another cornucopia. The exquisitely open-worked bezel is ornamented with chased fruit baskets and farm buildings.
The engraving on the movement and on the cases is of supreme quality. We cannot say why the watch should be signed "Poncet London", as it shows so many German style elements. Most likely it was made by the famous Dresden maker Jean Francois Poncet, who was maker to the court of King Augustus III. It is said that the Poncet family descend from an old Roman family of consuls; they use a legionary eagle in their coat of arms and trace their ancestry back to Pontius Pilate. They originally lived near Marseille and had to emigrate from France because of their Calvinist faith. To the best of our knowledge this is one of the earliest German pocket watches with automaton and Jacquemart.