Freres Melly, A Paris. A gilt metal key wind open face pocket watch with Vernis Martin portrait Circa 1790Offered from the T P Camerer Cuss CollectionFreres Melly, A Paris. A gilt metal key wind open face pocket watch with Vernis Martin portraitDate: Circa 1790Movement: Gilt full plate fusee verge, pierced and engraved balance bridge, silver regulation, square baluster pillarsDial: White enamel, black Roman numerals interspersed with zircons, black outer minute track with Arabic numeral 5 minute markers, winding aperture at 2, gilt handsCase: Consular form with applied three colour gold bezel foliate decoration, portrait to reverse in Vernis Martin after a self-portrait of Rubens, diamond set push piece, D shaped bowSigned: Dial & movementSize: 44mmThe oval portrait to the reverse is strikingly similar both in the detail and colour to the two self-portraits painted by Rubens, one of 1622 in Windsor Castle and the other, originally given by the artist to the Provencal antiquary Nicolas Fabris de Peiresc in 1628, now in the National Gallery, Canberra, Australia. It is, highly unusually for a small object such as a watch, painted in Vernis Martin, this having a degree of blistering very similar to that often found on oil paintings. Vernis Martin is a lacquer substitute perfected by the French martin brothers generally found on highly sought after late eighteenth century painted furniture.Provenance:Rt. Hon Marguerite, Lady Hastings and Rt Hon. Lord Hastings, Sothebys & Co December 15th 1958 lot 131T P Camerer Cuss CollectionIllustrated:The Country Life Book of Watches, T P Camerer Cuss, Country Life, 1967, colour plate IIThe Camerer Cuss Book of Antique Watches, T P & T A Camerer Cuss, AC C 1976, colour plate 3Reference:David Howarth, Rubens's 'owne pourtrait', Apollo Magazine Oct. 1990