L\'ART DE L\'HORLOGERIE EN FRANCE DE ...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 14, 1993

LOT 106

Lépine, Horloger du Roy, Invenit et Fecit, No. 2042, bearing the Paris hallmarks for 1775. Very fine and rare, 18 ct. gold, enamel and diamond-set early dumb quarter-repeating watch with wolf's-tooth train and special escapement.

CHF 18,000 - 20,000

C. Double body, Louis XVI, with diamond-set bezels and bow, concealed hinge, opening by twisting the pendant set which is set with a large rose diamond, the back of blue translucent enamel over engine-turning, set with a fine applied diamond monogram "L.C.D.". Hinged gilt brass cuvette. D. White enamel with Breguet numerals, number "1" in an oval frame. Gold Breguet hands. M. Gilt brass, early Lepine caliber with wolf'stooth train of wheels and free-standing barrel, virgule escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring. Repeating on the case by depressing the pendant, with two polished hammers. Signed on the dial and the cuvette. In very good condition. Diam. 34 nun.


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Notes

This lot is a fine example of a typical Lepine calibre watch illustrating his main inventions: the case with concealed hinge, opened by twisting the pendant, his caliber with free-standing barrel and linear stop-work, and the virgule escapement. According to A. Chapiro, in his book: Lépine Horloger (1720-1814) - Editions de l'amateur, p. 200, the wolf's-tooth train was invented by Lepine circa 1771 as an attempt to improve the mesh of the gearing, but was scarcely used before 1787 and after 1789 on watches numbered 5200 to 5711. Very few examples are known that can be dated as early as 1775. Although absolutely typical of Lepine with Breguet nmerals, the inscription: Invenit et Fecit and the framed number "1", this type of dial was introduced by Lepine towards 1800; it therefore seems probable that he upgraded it in order to modernise the look of the watch.