Boule de Genève

The term Boule de Genève is generic and does not mean that a given watch was necessarily made in the city or Canton of Geneva.

Many of the early "balls" were unsigned, though others retailed by jewellery companies such as Cartier,[1] Tiffany's,[2] or Van Cleef & Arpels,[3] and others marketed by watch brands.

[11] At the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition, several exhibitors displayed these type of watches among their horological products, called "globes" in the "Report of the Committee on Awards of the World's Columbian Commission":[12] A different winding and setting system was invented by Ariste Bourquard of Bienne and patented in Switzerland in 1907,[13] this system did not require a crown and a key either.

[14][15] The small watch continued to be manufactured in the following decades, enjoying a revival in popularity in the 1960s, judging by the number of brand names that existed and pieces available.

They are distinguishable by their dials having stamped, printed and/or applied different types of indices;[16] baton, stick, round, arrow, etc.

A Boule de Genève in the Etruscan revival style with granulation and wirework decoration, unsigned, Switzerland, c. 1890 , 21.5k yellow gold. Lecoultre winding system. It is unusual to find a ball-charm matching the ball watch. Watch Museum of Le Locle (Switzerland).
A front view dial example hanging from a matching gold chatelaine, ball decorated with stars enclosing diamonds. Unsigned, Switzerland, Lecoultre winding system. Amsterdam Museum
Gold sphere covered in pearls with matching chatelaine, dial facing the floor. Unsigned, Switzerland, Lecoultre winding system. Amsterdam Museum