Lot 387

John Leroux, Charing Cross, London, Movement No. 3145, 44 mm, 88 g, circa 1790
An ornamental gold enamel verge pocket watch, studded with half pearls
Case: 18k gold, enamel, half pearls. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm steel balance.
This exquisite pocket watch was created by reputed watchmaker John Leroux. The back is decorated with translucent mauve enamel on an engine-turned pattern of waves and pearls. The lancet-shaped portrait in the centre shows a young lady in a low-cut period dress; the miniature painting is framed by a row of shiny split pearls. Applied gold borders with translucent green enamel leaves and opaque white enamel pearls decorate the bezels on both sides.
John Leroux was a renowned maker well known for being a fine and innovative craftsman. The work of Leroux which has survived is of outstanding quality and like Emery and Grant he was one of the very few makers of his time in London, who thoroughly appreciated the lever escapement invented by Mudge in 1754 and constantly strove to improve on it. Although he had lived and worked in London since about 1744, Leroux was not accepted into the Clockmakers' Company until 1781.