18K Gold Beauty Box Incorporating a Watch

Inventory number: PW1905004

Made in France circa 1920. 90x47 mm, 18K gold case with diamond-set and ruby-set.  After opening the case, there are beauty boxes with mirror on the one side; and a clip for keeping pocket money on another side. This is a special and delicate design for ladies, beauty box incorporating with a watch. Besides, it is also a Carnet-de-bals, designed to hold an ivory tablet and a pencil, and often decorated with portrait miniatures and the initials of the owner. Ladies carried these carnets to dances and would inscribe the names of their dance partners on the ivory tablet.

Form Watch

Form watch can be worn around the neck, carried in pockets or used as brooches. Watchmakers were full of creativity, they got inspiration from a wide range of things to make these timepieces, such as fruits, flowers, animals, musical instruments, books, or even crucifix. Thus during the 18th and 19th centuries, they were very attractive and popular portable timekeepers for ladies and gentlemen of certain social statuses.