Antique Verge-Fusee Pocket Watch with Leton Enamel. France, Circa 1800

This charming verge fusee pocket watch is a true testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of late 18th and early 19th century France. Made in France around 1800, it features exquisite enamel decoration on the back cover, which not only grants it significant artistic value but also an exceptional visual appeal. The hand-painted romantic scene depicts an idyllic moment between a seated woman and a young boy reading a book to her, likely a symbolic representation of motherhood or the transmission of knowledge. The entire scene unfolds in a bucolic countryside landscape, giving the piece a serene and endearing aura.

The enamel painting is framed by a mandorla surrounded by deep ultramarine blue, with a delicate light blue floral border. Along the outer edge, rich decoration in gold and silver tones with arch and pike motifs adds ceremonial and intricate character to the composition. This enameling work is attributed to the renowned artisan J.F. Valeri Leton, whose name is engraved inside the cover alongside the serial number. The signature LETON, engraved in capital letters, adds significant value as it links the watch to the prestigious French enameling tradition of the period.

The dial, made of white porcelain, displays black Arabic numerals for the hours and red ones for the seconds. The Breguet-style hands are finely turned and harmonize beautifully with the overall aesthetic of the watch. It is key-wound, and the movement has been recently serviced and is in perfect working condition, which enhances the historical and technical value of the piece.

These verge fusee watches were known for their precision and robustness. They were especially appreciated during the turn of the 18th to the 19th century and widely distributed throughout France and other European regions. Moreover, their artisanal character makes them truly unique pieces, particularly when featuring pictorial enamel decorations.

An ideal jewel for discerning collectors, art historians, or lovers of antique watchmaking. Its poetic character, combined with its technical and decorative quality, makes this watch a secure investment and an unforgettable acquisition. It is a piece that will undoubtedly stand out in any private collection of antique watches or museum display.

This piece is ready to complete a collection and to be proudly gifted or treasured.

Dimensions: 5 cm (1.96 in)

History of J.F. Valeri Leton

J.F. Valeri Leton was one of the most distinguished enamel artisans in France at the turn of the 18th to 19th century, particularly active in the Geneva area, which at the time was considered the world capital of watch enameling. Back then, watches were not just instruments of precision but true works of art combining engineering with miniature painting. Enamel was the preferred medium of the great masters to depict bucolic, allegorical, or religious scenes. Leton belonged to this refined tradition.

Leton was not a watchmaker in the mechanical sense but a renowned decorator of enameled covers and cases, whose signature appears on many pieces exported to markets such as Spain, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. The fact that his name is clearly engraved inside the case cover indicates that his work was valued enough to be considered a maker’s mark, on par with the watchmakers who signed the dials or movements. The quality of his scenes and the use of vivid colors, especially cobalt and ultramarine blues combined with finely applied golds, are distinctive of his style.

Watches decorated by Leton are notable for their pictorial treatment of figures, smooth shading transitions, and delicate facial expressions. These often depict idealized everyday scenes such as reading, filial love, or rural life, as seen in the present watch where a child reads to a contemplative woman. These themes were popular among the early 19th-century bourgeoisie and nobility, who valued both the technical skill and symbolic content.

The enamel on copper used by Leton was fired at high temperatures in specialized kilns, a delicate process requiring multiple layers and firings to achieve the depth, intensity, and durability of the color. The result was a glossy vitreous finish that withstood the test of time and daily handling. Many of these works have survived intact to this day, confirming the exceptional quality of materials and techniques employed.

Although little is known about Leton’s personal life, his signature appears in European auction catalogs and has been referenced in key publications on enamel horology. His work belongs to a special category for collectors: that of signed enamelers who, like the best miniature painters, gave a distinct identity to each decorated watch. In private collections and specialized museums, watches with enamel signed by Leton occupy prominent places due to their rarity, aesthetic integrity, and documentary value.

Today, any enameled watch signed by J.F. Valeri Leton represents not only a piece of high craftsmanship but also a tangible testimony to the artistic sophistication of post-revolutionary France. These are pieces that, beyond their horological function, capture the aesthetic sensibility of an era that cherished beauty and technique in equal measure.

I think I left nothing in the description but if I forgot something, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Buy with confidence. We are professional antique dealers.

The Shop

"Hello.

My name is José Pascual, and I am an antique dealer located in Zaragoza, Spain, which is a medium size city between Madrid and Barcelona. If you have any question, send me an email and I will gladly answer you. Enjoy my articles and I hope we keep in touch.

For any questions about this or any other item you can contact me through eBay. I will be glad to answer them. We are open from 9 am to 7 pm Madrid time.

Thanks for trusting me and enjoy !

Best wishes from Spain."

José Pascual Aznar

 

 

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SHIPPING

We Always Combine Shipping for 2 or more items !!!!

Before paying please let us combine your postage cost. Simply shop away and then request the total from us. We will then send you one postage cost for all your itmes

Although the shipping expenses published with this item are exact for most of the countries and cities, they may change depending on the final city and country. To know the exact shipping quote, just write me sending your Country name, City name and Postal code, and I'll send it to you.

Combine 2 or more pieces for much cheaper shipping expenses.

IMPORTANT - SEE ALL THE PICTURES

This is an antique or vintage item, not a new item, and it's not perfect as a new one. It may have minor scratches or hits not mentioned in this description but than can be seen in the many photos published with it. Scroll down the description to see all the photos. Photos are part of the description, because a picture is worth a thousand words. Please, study the pictures as part of the description and if you have any doubt ask me.

Also be aware that when I say that an antique item is in perfect working conditions, doesn't mean that it works as new. A machine with 100 years is not prepared to be working everyday during hours, except my antique clocks. Many things can happen inside an antique mechanism and today's perfectly working spring, could be the future's failure as far away as in 10 years… or as near as the next month. It's impossible to know exactly when. But before our pieces are ready to be sold, we check the machinery and working condition of all of them. If necessary, we restore and/or repair and finally clean and/or adjust, all our antique machines, and if it's there's a defect or malfunctions, it's clearly indicated in the description, video or pictures, but these machines are still antiques.

For example, an antique car, a Ford T from 1910, may be in perfect working conditions, but this doesn't mean that it works as new or that you can use this antique car as an everyday car to go to your job. I want to leave this clear as part of the description. Antiques, even in perfect working conditions, can't be guaranteed as a new or second hand item. Not only the antique itself has 100 years old or more, but also each spring, screw, wheel and gear of its mechanism has also 100 years or more. Of course, if something happens we can help to solve the problem, even repairing it, we know experts in many areas, but understand that even a perfectly working antique is still an antique.

Please keep this in mind before buying and if you have any question, let me know.

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  • As important is to win the auction as what happens afterwards. Our work is not complete until you receive your item safely in your home.

    - We are a 5 Stars Seller, which means that eBay, certify that we have achieved the highest standards of quality in the service we offer.
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WE GUARANTEE YOUR ACQUISITION

Investing in antiques is always a nice way to profitable your money. Many collectors have became millionairs. If you are starting a collection, follow these important tips:

- If you want to invest in antiques, always choose original pieces and avoid reproductions. A reproduction loses half of its value in the same minute that you are purchasing it, while an original antique gains value each passing day. This is an original antique and its value will continue growing tomorrow.

- Read and learn about for area of interest: swords, clocks, phonographs, antique photos, old silver, technical antiques, typewriters... Invest in books as much as in your collection and learn as much as you can. If you keep your collecction catalogued, you will increase its value.

- Keep yourself informed about the market prices in your area of interest. There are many sources but mainly, visit as many fairs as you can, research in the Internet and read the final auctions prices in the traditional auction houses.

- Finally... Collect antiques, not junk. It is always better a small collection with excellent pieces than a huge collection of junk, rusty irons and broken machines. Select your pieces. There is not a goal to reach, so take the pleasure in in the process of your treasure hunting. A collection should be something to enjoy, and there is many interesting pieces out there and very few time to enjoy them, so be selective with your choices.

If you follow these simple steps you will be in the correct direction to develop an excellent collection, whatever is your area of interest and, for me the most important of all, enjoying the process

 

 

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WHO WE ARE & ABOUT ME
 


Jose Pascual

Hello.

My name is Jose and I am the owner and responsible of this shop. I am an antique dealer located in Saragossa, in Spain.

Saragossa is a Spanish medium size city of 700.000 people, located just in the middle of the way between Madrid and Barcelona, 300 kms from each one, and also equidistant 300 kms. to other cities as Bilbao and Valencia. It’s an antique city founded by the Romans, by the Emperor Caesar Augustus more than 2000 years ago, capital of the powerful antique Kingdom of Aragon, 900 years ago and during the Medieval times, and first defeat of Napoleon’s troops in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th Century, among other History...

Here I was born, here I live, and here I have my small antiques shop.

 

We are professional antique dealers

I started in this world as a collector. My parents introduced me into the world of antiques and the auction houses since I was a child here in Spain but also in other cities as Milan, London and Paris. My father introduced me into the world of antique collectibles and I started my own antique search at flea markets for my own small antiques collections since I was very young. I've been a professional antique dealer since the year 2003, when I decided to join my passion with my way of living. If while I am writing this is the year 2024, these are, 21 years, nowadays, selling antiques. And more than 30 years as a collector, and I still have a lot to learn and only a little to teach.

We are a registered legal antique business, here in Spain. We pay our taxes, too many taxes I am afraid, and we have a physical address. I have a small shop open to the public in Saragossa and we are open from 9:00 to 19:00 hours, Madrid time. You are welcome to visit me whenever you wish. I have an open shop at eBay for many years, I think at least 16 years, under the nickname 'Iberantiques', active and with more than 1350 positives feedbacks, today all 100% positive. And finally, as I mentioned before, I have my own web shop, for 16 years now, in Spanish language although it can be translated to almost any language using the Google Translator button, in the upper part of the web page. The translation is not perfect but it is 90% good, totally understandable and you can always ask me.

Mainly, I started specialized in Antique machines as gramophones, music boxes, clocks, watches… but today, I also work with other first class collector items as cameras, militaria, antique scientific instruments… To be exact, nowadays, I work with any first class antique that I could find at a correct price and that we could transport world-wide.

We provide secure shipping world-wide.

As a legal business, I have a commercial agreement with FedEx , with client account number with big shipping discounts, and we can send our items safely worldwide with a reasonable price, sometimes, even cheaper than Air Mail. We have a wide experience in packing and sending safely World Wide, from China and Singapore, to Dallas, San Francisco, New York or London, Canada, and of course almost all European Countries, many American ones including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia, and not forgetting Australia, South Africa, Israel and some in the Middle East as Catar and Emirates. We have sent successfully, from fragile items as Chinese Porcelain, to heavy items as Slot Coin Machines, not together into the same box, of course!. :-) .

We can send almost everything with security, no matter how big or heavy it is, if the client wants to pay the price, because some heavy or big items or delicate items into big boxes are specially expensive to send, not perhaps within Europe, but sometimes to America or Asia and some require custom made packing, as custom made wooden boxes or special foam for transport protection. The priority in Shipping is always Security and Protection for the piece. We’ve been sending International shipping since the very beginning in the year 2003. Our more than 1400 eBay clients and today's still 100% positive votes, talk about their positive experience.

We work with Selected pieces

All my items are first class collector’s items, in excellent conditions , conservation state or/and working conditions. If talking about antique machines, most of them are in perfect working conditions, perfect conservation state or perfectly restored. The few that are not, because it was not possible to repair it, it's clearly indicated. I like to work with the best pieces that I can find. I prefer to work only with selected pieces.

'Selected' doesn’t mean 'unaffordable'. My pieces have very correct prices, depending on the rarity and the conservation state of the piece itself. Every piece has a price rank, from junk state to museum state, that I consider is the highest one. ‘Selected’ means that I prefer to work with Museum State pieces, or near, and First Class collector’s items, or near rather than other kind of low quality pieces .

We guarantee the description and datation of all our pieces

I always give guarantee my descriptions, not only in general antiques, but even in the working condition of an antique machine. Of course, to be completely sincere, it’s mainly impossible to give a full guarantee in the working condition of an antique working machine with over or more than 100 years. Many things can happen inside an antique mechanism and today’s perfectly working spring, could be the future’s failure as far away as in ten years… or as near as the next month. It's impossible to know exactly when. But before our pieces are ready to be sold, we check the machinery and working condition of all of them. If necessary, we restore and/or repair and finally clean and/or adjust, all our antique machines, and if it’s there's a defect or malfunctions, it’s clearly indicated in the description, video or pictures.

We try to have all our pieces in perfect working conditions, but if a disaster occurs and the item gets out of order or damaged, for any reason, we can help to solve the problem or to help to repair it or to restore it. We work with first class professionals that can restore from antique medieval paintings to 13th Century silver, other metals as iron, copper and bronze, to any kind of wood. Also, we can repair antique machines as gramophones, antique clocks, typewriters and antique mechanical calculators.

We give a private Certificate of Authenticity of the item if required, that we send with the piece or by Mail.

Our Priority is your satisfaction

And the most important of all, we always take great care of the customer service. Client’s experience with antiques should be always pleasant and happy, or, if this is not completely possible, at least satisfactory and full of joy. Our work only ends, not when we sell the piece, but when our client has the piece in his hands, safely and in good conditions.

I speak English fluently, some French, and, of course, Spanish.

Thanks for reading this, I hope to deal with you soon, and we stay in touch. .

Jose Pascual