Early Oignon P(ierre) Lagisse

Early Oignon P(ierre) Lagisse, (Geneva). Made circa 1680. Fine and very rare, very early, silver single-hand oignonwatchwith alarm and early use of balance spring. Two-body, polished, the bezel with pierced sound holes, inner bezel pierced and decorated with foliage. Engraved gilt with radial black Roman numerals on white enamel cartouches, inner white enamel 1/4 hour divisions, inner alarm setting disc with Arabic numerals, foliate chased center. Blued steel tulip hour pointer and alarm hand. Hinged gilt brass full plate with turned baluster pillars, fusee with chain, verge escapement, three-arm steel balance, flat balance spring, pierced foliate cock with three segments, early-type worm-and-wheel set-up, alarm train with pierced foliate engraved barrel, steel wheels and double-ended hammer sounding on a bell in the back of the case. Diam. 57 mm. Notes This watch is a very early type of oignon watch with early use of the balance spring. The balance cock is designed in such a way that the spring can clearly be seen so as to show off this novel feature. The dial is later but only by perhaps 20 years, the alarm stopwork and mainspring are missing. Pierre Lagisse working in Geneva and Isphahan, probably apprenticed in1638 to Martin DuBoule and died in 1679. He began his career in Geneva and subsequently moved to Persia where he became watchmaker to the Shah, although it is certain that the majority of his production continued to be made in Switzerland. Literature: For si Read more…