Delicate Treasures

This catalogue focuses on the study of watches housed in gold cases painted with enamel. As these belong to the broader category of enamelled watches produced using various techniques, the study aims to be wide-ranging—without claiming to be exhaustive. It also provides an opportunity to place these luxurious objects in the context of their time, from social, artistic, and technical perspectives. The work is enriched by the valuable inclusion of reproductions of ancient texts—some little-known or previously unpublished—presented in the appendices. This publication seeks to offer an up-to-date synthesis on this fascinating subject.