The movement of this watch is very similar to those produced in France by Andre Hessen and Gregson, as early as 1780. The enamel of this watch features the love of Annette for Lubin, the characters of a very popular opera conaique at towards the end of the 18th century. Annette and Lubin First performed in January 1762 for a wedding, the opera conique "Annette and Lubin" was an enormous success at the time. The music was written by Adolph Benoit Blaise, Jean Paul Egide Martini and Pierre Alexandre Monsigny. The author of this rural pastorale was Charles Simon Favart (1710-1792). Son of a Parisian pastry cook, he became poet and playwright; he wrote close to 150 opera librettos. Among his most celebrated plays were Basher et Bast/ow (1753) and Les Laois suhanes (1761). Favart's most successful opera librettos and plays, staged all over Europe, were translated into English, German, Spanish, Danish, Italian and Dutch. He was regarded as the father of musicals and as the foremost author of French opera comique. In 1743, Charles Simon Favart was director of the theatr e of La Foire St. Germain and in 1757 he became director of the Opera Coneique.