The Mondani Collection of Rolex Wrist...

Geneva, May 14, 2006

LOT 772

?The Birth of Venus? Julien Le Roy, A Paris. Made circa 1750. Very fine, 20K gold and painted on enamel pocket watch with outer protecting case.

CHF 4,000 - 6,000

EUR 2,500 - 3,800 / USD 3,000 - 4,600

Sold: CHF 6,490

C. Two-body, ?Louis XV?, chased with asymmetrical scrolls, the bezel and border decorated with painted on enamel flowers, the back decorated with a finely painted on enamel scene of the birth of Venus. Gilt brass and tortoiseshell outer protecting case. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and Arabic five minute numerals. Gilt brass ?Louis XV? hands. M. 37 mm., gilt brass, full-plate, pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee with chain, verge escapement, micrometric potence adjustment, plain three-arm steel balance, flat balance spring, pierced and engraved continental balance cock, polished steel endplate, silver regulation dial. Movement signed. Diam. 45 mm. To be sold without reserve


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good

Case: 3-54

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 3-25-02

Good

Chipped

HANDS Service hands

Notes

Julien Le Roy (1686-1759) Is one of the clockmakers who have contributed most to the progress and the reputation of French watch- and clock-making. Born in Tours on August 6, 1686, he came to Paris in 1699 and was received master in 1713. First member, then Director of the Société des Arts, he improved almost all branches of clockmaking, and many important inventions in the realm of time-measurement are owed to him. In 1717, Julien Le Roy presented an equation clock to the Royal Academy of Sciences which showed the true time, the place of the sun and its declination. Appointed Clockmaker to the King in 1739, he had his private quarters in the Louvre. His most important discoveries concerned watch mechanisms. The adjustable potence for the verge escape wheel considerably improved the escapement?s functioning, and the steel end-piece (coqueret) which allowed oil to be retained in the balance pivots in order to diminish frictional force, was quickly adopted by other watchmakers. The inventor of dumb repeating watches, in 1740 he created a new arrangement which allowed the area allotted to the repeating work to be enlarged. This invention, called "à bâte levée", was also adopted by his fellow clockmakers. In 1755 he invented a small anchor escapement used as a regulator for the repeating train. He contributed to the Encyclopédie by writing several articles on clock-making together with his son Jean-Baptiste, the Academician.