Pocket Watch

After ninety years of civil and religious freedom, the Huguenots were once again persecuted after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. Many of them immigrated to neighboring countries, resulting in the loss of much of the clock and watchmaking workforce. France’s eventual recovery in the manufacture of clocks and watches was due in part to Julien Le Roy, who did much to re-establish Paris as a leading center for horology. In his extensive workshops, Le Roy created fine and precise movements set in luxurious and fashionable clocks and watchcases, like this one decorated in gold and cloisonné enamel.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.