Empress Marie-Louise. Rare present collar watch of Empress Marie-Louise. Key watch with cock movement. White enameled dial with Arabic numerals. Blued hands. Gold case. Obverse with radiant green enamel background, adorned with the figure "M.L." of Marie-Louise surmounted by the imperial crown, set with small diamonds. Reverse with green enamel background, adorned with a diamond-set bee. Obverse and reverse bordered with strings of pearls. Pusher stamped with an eagle's head and numbered "9973". Hallmark on the ring. The movement bears a later signature "MUGNIER Hr DE SM L'EMPEREUR ET ROI". Gross weight: 29.9g. Diameter: 34mm. Hallmarked "51". Key missing. Small enamel chips. Mechanism not guaranteed. A.B.E. First Empire period. Circa 1813. Work attributed to Nitot. History: We find orders for small collar watches that could be ours: "Vingt-six petites montres de col divers, en or émaillé, avec entourages, chiffres, emblèmes superbes et accompagnées de leurs chaînes et clefs" (4/09/1811). Watches of this type were invoiced at between 250 and 300 francs. Several watches of a similar model are known: - One is preserved in the Château de Fontainebleau, but is adorned with the Emperor's "N" numeral. It was presented in 1813 by the Empress to Mademoiselle Soufflot, daughter of a chambermaid to the King of Rome. When the Empire fell in 1814, Marie-Louise took the watch with her and gave it to Fanny Soufflot, who was the King of Rome's playmate in Vienna until October 1815. The case bears the number 31. - The other was sold in 2009 (Rouillac), decorated with the "bâtons" numeral. It is numbered 47 and was given to the famous Madame Minette, lingère to the King of Rome. - One sold in 2014 (Bonham's), identical to the previous one, except that the enamels were opaque sky blue. It would have been given to Émilie de Pellepra. - One sold in 2016 (Osenat), with interlaced numerals on a green enamel ground, of the same model as ours.