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

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 14, 1993

LOT 64

Pierre Le Roy à Paris No. 752, circa 1750. Extremely rare silver pair cased, quarter-repeating watch with a special escapement.

CHF 18,000 - 20,000

C. Contemporary inner and outer cases. Double body inner, bassine, pierced and engraved with inhabited foliage. Double body outer, repousse with a scene depicting "Dianne chasseresse" with her dogs with outer pierced and engraved scrolled decoration. D. White enamel with Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute ring. Gold Louis XV hands. M. Hinged gilt brass full plate with baluster pillars, fusee with chain, frictional rest escapement drown from that of Debaufre, with two escape wheel facing each other and a single pallet shaped as a flat vide-open cone on the balance staff. Plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring, gilt brass continental Louis XV cock and garnet endstone. Repeating on a bell (lacking) by depressing the pendant. Signed on the dial and back plate. In good condition. Diam. 53 mm.


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Notes

Made by Pierre Le Roy, the Eider, the brother of Julien, this watch is set with his frictional rest escapement as described in Histoire et Mémoires de l' Académie Royale des Sciences, for 1742, Paris 1745, pp. 158-161, and in Gallon: Recueil des Machines et Inventions approuvées par l'Académie Royale des Sciences, 1742, No.449, Vol. VII, Paris 1777, pp. 128- 138 with plate. This watch is described and illustrated by Ch. Allix and G. Brusa : Antiquarian Horology, June 1969, an off-print copy is coming with the watch.