Hand-Painted Pocket Watch Limoges Box

The classic pocket watch, the kind a grandfather drew from his vest with a flourish, is captured here in porcelain. This version is the traditional member of a small watch family, and the hand-painted Limoges box was made in Limoges, France.

Heirloom Hours

Before wristwatches took over, a pocket watch was often the most treasured thing a man owned, passed from father to son along with the stories that went with it. This porcelain piece honors that tradition. The colors are laid on by hand, which gives each finished watch slight differences you will not see in a factory print.

A Walk Through Porcelain History

Limoges boxes trace back to 18th century France, when small porcelain cases held snuff, pills and the tiny beauty patches worn by fashionable courtiers. Making them still involves many hands, with painting done after the white porcelain is fired.

Keeping Good Company

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Joins the red and gold pocket watch versions, plus clock and train subjects
• Marks a retirement, a long career or a milestone birthday

It sits comfortably on a valet tray, a bedside table or a desk beside a framed family photo.