It is now generally accepted that the technique of painting in enamel was invented perhaps ten years before the date of 1628 cited by Félibien in his ?Principes de l'Architecture, de la sculpture, de la peinture et des autres arts qui en dépendent?, published in 1676. He ascribes the invention to Jean Toutin, a goldsmith originally from Châteaudun, but who settled in Blois by 1604. Again, it seems unlikely that he was solely responsible for the invention, as the basis of the technique had already been in use in Limoges for approaching 100 years. However it is to the craftsmen of Blois that we owe the discovery of the rich palette of colors that are so characteristic of their work. Initially, the colors were somewhat limited and the technique less well developed; hardly surprising in view of the need to fire the case numerous times and the inexperience of the first craftsmen. It seems likely that such watches were considered as priceless works of art when they first appeared, not so much to be worn, but more to be admired. It is known that the Cardinals Mazarin and Richelieu occasionally gave such watches as handsome presents to people they wished to influence. That the enamelers had a ready market for everything they could produce is supported by the fact that they seemed to have to hand the very latest engravings, and on occasion paintings, as material to copy. Certain cases would appear to date to little more than a year after the original work from which they are taken. Painting in enamel, for which the Blois school is most famed, involved the construction of an exceptionally thin gold framework which was enameled on all surfaces, the inside or counter enamel being an integral part of the structure. This case was made using a different technique. Initially the shell would have been cast or drawn up in considerable thickness, sufficient to support the stresses involved in firing the enamels without distortion. Afterwards, the excess gold would have been recovered by scraping away the interior until only a thin skin remained. Pierre Vilar in his classic work ?A History of Gold and Money 1450 ? 1920?, provides an indication of the enormous value of gold at the time. By his calculation, in 1500, if all the gold in Europe were combined into a block, it would have only measured two meters cube. Although watches of this period are rare in any case, it is certain that many would have been scrapped in subsequent years simply on account of their precious metal content. Several watches of similar size, and perhaps attributable to the same enameler, are preserved in museum collections, although a very few still remain in private hands.

Literature:
E.Develle, "Les Horlogers Blesois", Blois, 1917.. Clutton & Daniels, "Watches", London, 1965 (and later), color frontispiece and dust jacket. Tardy, ?Dictionnaire des Horlogers Francais?, 1972. O. Patrizzi, ?A Brief History of the Art of Enameling?, Antiquorum, Vox, Spring 2003.

Goullons.
Was an eminent maker responsible for making a large clockwatch for the study of Cardinal Mazarin in 1663 for 200 Livres. The collection of the Musée International d?Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds has a remarkable watch by Goullons. In the Victoria and Albert museum in London there is a magnificent watch by him painted with the portraits of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers possesses a watch by Goullons enameled in relief with flowers and foliage.

Semiramis called to arms The decoration of this watch tells the story of Semiramis, the legendary Queen of Assyria. Interrupted at her toilette by news of a revolt, she demonstrated her determination as a ruler by immediately rushing to lead her army to crush the rebels. In the cover decoration, the Queen is interrupted by a messenger bearing the news of the revolt of the Babylonians. According to Valerius Maximus, in keeping with her imperious and war-like nature, she immediately abandoned her toilette and rushed to take up arms to quell the revolt