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

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 14, 1993

LOT 107

Lépine Horloger du Roy, Paris, Invenit et Fecit, No. 5627, bearing the Paris hallmarks for 1787. Fine and rare 18 ct. gold, dumb quarter-repeating watch with wolf's tooth train.

CHF 18,000 - 20,000

Sold: CHF 19,550

C. Double body, polished, by Guillaume Mermillod (master mark), with concealed hinge and fixed bezel. Gilt brass hinged cuvette. D. White enamel with Arabic numerals and outer red Arabic minute ring (slightly restored on border of the bezel). Gold skeletonised "fleurs de lys" hands, typical of Lepine's work. M. Gilt brass, typical Lepine calibre with free-standing barrel and wolf's-tooth train, virgule escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring. Repeating on the case by depressing the pendant with a single massive polished steel hammer. Signed on the dial and cuvette. In good condition. Diam. 51 mm.


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Notes

The movement of this watch illustrates all the characteristics associated with Lepine's work and is identical to that chosen by Moinet to illustrate his book : Nouveau Traita d'Horlogerie, plate 10. There are however two notable differences: the first being a sophisticated blocking lever to ensure that the quarter rack is not released prematurely, the second being an attempt to prevent the balance from distorting or ovalising with temperature changes. The arms of the balance each have a semicircular kink and are reduced in thickness over a part of their length, and therefore in principal should absorb any expansion that might other Wise distort the rim. According to A. Chapiro, Jean Antoine Lepine Horloger, Editions de l'Amateur, Lepine made his first watches with wolf's-tooth trains in 1771, but it's mainly between 1787 and 1789 , that Lepine used the wolf's-tooth train for watches numbered between 5200 and 5711.