Chevalier & Cochet Enamel Pocket Watch
Inventory number: PW1809009
Made in Geneva circa 1810, 53mm, 18K gold open-face case with painted enamel and pearl-set. The painting of enamel was attributed to renowned enamel painter Jean-Louis Richter. The enamel scene depicting an allegory of Venus & Cupid. Chevalier & Cochet were watch and clockmakers from the late 18th and early 19th century and they made very fine watches for the French and Spanish markets.
About the Enamel Painter
Richter, Jean-Louis (1766-1841), Learned his art under David-Etienne Roux and Philippe-Samuel-Théodore Roux, becoming a most renowned enamel painter. His specialty was the painting of landscapes and particularly lake-side scenes and marine-scapes, often representing ships in a harbor or battles with fighting Men-of-War, but, on occasion, also portraits and hunting scenes. He did not often sign his work, but it is clearly recognized as being in his hand from the style and quality of the painting. He applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff-boxes and these were largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. In 1828, he was in partnership with Aimé-Julien Troll (1781-1852) and one can find work signed Richter et Troll. Richter, like other great enamel painters of the time, often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by the artists then in fashion particularly Claude Verne, or the romanticized English and Irish rural life.
Glossary of Material Terms
Enamel
A vitreous substance whose main component is silica（also may have borax, lead, and potash）mixed with oxides (transition metals) that create a vast palette of colors. Enamel can be used to decorate metal surfaces, gold, silver, and copper.
Painting on the Enamel
A gold or copper plate is coated with base enamel then fired. The colors are in powder form which the enamel-painter dilutes as and when they are needed using an oily or semi-oily essence, before applying them with a fine brush. Each color is dried then fired before the next is applied. A work can be fired numerous times.
