Euro Antique Watches

Description

Silver Verge Painted Dial Girardier L’Aîné French Pocket Watch
Circa 1800
A silver verge keywind pocket watch with a painted dial, made in France by Girardier L’Aîné in the 1800’s (See Tardy p.258 and history below). The pocket watch is complete with a key.
Dial: The dial is finely painted in enamel with a classical female figure holding a sickle and sheaf of wheat, beside a fountain in a pastoral landscape signed Girardier L’Aîné . The central white chapter ring carries elegant Arabic numerals and blued steel hands. A winding aperture at roughly two o’clock confirms this verge watch is front-wound from the dial.
Movement: The verge gilt fusee movement has a pierced balance bridge, three arm balance and silver disc regulator, Egyptian square pillars and signed Girardier L’Aîné . The movement is in good working order however, we cannot guarantee accuracy for an antique pocket watch.
Case: The watch lies in a silver case with a smooth finish and bull eye glass. The case is numbered: 7334.
History: Girardier L’Aîné appears to have been a late 18th- to early 19th-century French or Swiss-French watchmaker whose name survives mainly through verge-fusee pocket watches and decorative automaton pieces. The term “L’aîné” means “the elder,” a common French trade designation used to distinguish a senior craftsman from younger relatives in the same profession. Surviving watches signed “Girardier L’Aîné” are usually silver-cased verge watches with fusee movements, often featuring enamel-painted dials or automaton scenes, suggesting a maker working in the luxury export market of the period.
Unlike famous Parisian makers such as Breguet or Lépine, Girardier L’Aîné was probably a smaller regional workshop or établisseur — a watchmaker who assembled movements and cases from specialist craftsmen rather than manufacturing every component personally. This was normal practice in France and Switzerland before industrial production. Collectors today encounter the name only occasionally, which makes surviving examples interesting and comparatively uncommon.

Diameter: 53 mm – Weight: 94.8 g – Signed: Girardier l’Aine - Made in France – Circa 1800

As always, all shipping items are sent out with Royal Mail signed for and registered Post, with tracking available.
As passionate collectors and enthusiasts, we are always looking to purchase pocket watches in any condition, working or not, valuing their history, craftsmanship, and unique stories. With over 35 years’ experience, we offer expert appraisal and competitive prices please contact us for more information.

As always, all my shipping items are sent out with Royal Mail signed for and registered Post, with tracking available.