This is the only watch known, made by Motel, fitted with a double direct drive seconds hand for a fly back mechanism quite distinct from that invented by Winnerl in 1838 and improved in 1840. It raises the question as to who was the true inventor of this device, the more so as No. 180 does not appear in the sales books which Motel began to keep in 1835. It was thus sold before this date. Although the watch is signed by Motel, and is recorded as having returned to his workshops for adjustment, the ebauche of the movement is quite different from all others. However, it does correspond exactly to the description given by Louis Berthoud of his caliber "à double cage", invented in 1793 for watch No. 20, subsequently sold to M. Pigou, and likewise employed for marine watches Nos. 21 and 22. This caliber vvas conceived by Louis Berthoud with the aim of reducing the thickness of his marine pocket watches. Only three watches of this type were completed before Berthoud gave up the production of pocket chronometers, due to the difficulty in regulating them for all positions. The case of watch No. 180, is in fact stamped with the maker's mark of Jean-Louis Joly, who made century, but was dead by the time Motel set up in business (his son, L.G Joly, subsequently worked for Motel). Furthermore, it bears the "Tête de femme grecque" mark used only in 1793 at the request of the Master Goldsmiths' , as well as the legal stamps for the period 1819 - 1838; the case was therefore manufactured at the same date as Louis Berthoud introduced his "double cage" caliber. It is clear from the evidence that chronometer No. 180 vvas completed by Motel from an ebauche with its case, laid aside by Louis Berthoud in 1793 when he gave up the manufacture of pocket timekeepers to concentrate on boxed marine watches. The pivoted detent escapement, fourarm balance and conical spring are the work of Motel, as indeed are the dial, hands and fine rose wood deck box; it was also Motel who adapted the movement for the split-seconds. However, the ebauche, major wheel-work and case are front the workshop of Louis Berthoud, and represent the only known surviving example of his "double cage" design; that the case as well as the ebauche should have been made without the watch being completed in 1793, is quite acceptable as it \vas usual for the maker to send the movement to be cased prior to embarking upon the delicate and easily damaged work of fitting the escapement and finishing the watch. This watch is described and illustrated by J.C. Sabrier in Longitude nt sen in flic tinte of Louis Berthoud and Henri Motel, Antiquorum Editions, pp. 620-621 and Addenda after p. 448. Following the French Revolution, many of the laves and institutions associated with the monarchy were withdrawn or annulled, and in several cases, not immediately replaced. One such vvas the official hallmarking of objects made in precious metal, for the Assemblée Législative cancelled the law on the 1st.of October 1791. Naturally, with no official controls, sub-standard silver and gold began to flood the market, with the result that the master goldsmiths, as members of the recognised guild introduced their own control mark -'Head of a Greek woman' with the letter 'P'-in 1793, as a self-policed guarantee for the qualitv of silver. As this single mark was applied to objects made in both lst.(958) and 2nd.(843) standard metal, the Guild decided the following year(1794) to replace it with a similar head ,but bearing; the number '1' for lst. qualitv and a 'Horse 's head' mark (or objects of 2nd. standard. At the same time, the 'Baby's head' vvas introduced as a guarantee for items made in gold. All these'temporary' marks were superceded bv the act of 19 Brumaire an VI(() November 1797) which reintroduced the official controls and duties on precious metals with new marks, the law coming into effect on 19th lune 1798. With the re-introduction of official controls, it became necessary tor any objects not already sold, to be re-submitted and stamped with the marks in force at the time of sale. Hence it is not unusual to find watch cases from the period bearing several apparently conflicting sets of marks.