Important Collectors Wristwatches, P...
Geneva, Nov 16, 2008
LOT 23
Double Virgule Antoine Francois a Paris, No. 171. The case with Paris poincon for 1765. Very fine and extremely rare, 20K varicolored gold and rose-cut diamond-set pocket watch with double virgule escapement to the design of Jean Romilly.
CHF 15,000 - 20,000
USD 14,000 - 18,000 / EUR 9,500 - 13,000
C. Two-body, ?Louis XV?, by Xavier Gide (mastermark XG), bezel and border decorated with laurel swags, the back with a musical trophy within a ribbon border, the thumb-pieces, pendant and bow set with large rose-cut diamonds. D. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions. Rose-cut diamond-set fleur-de-lys hands.M. 35 mm., frosted gilt full plate, pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee and chain, double virgule escapement, three-arm brass balance, flat balance spring, pierced and chased continental balance cock, silver regulation dial. Movement signed. Diam. 43 mm
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3-31 |
Good Transformations |
Movement: 3* |
Good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 3-22-01 |
Good Later original HANDS Original |
Notes
The double virgule escapement was the subject of one of the biggest horological scandals of 18th century France. In 1753, horloger du Roi, Jean-Andre Le Paute published a description of a new escapement for watches derived fromthe pin-wheel escapement which had been used with great success in clocks. The new escapement, the details of which were given in Le Paute?s book, was called the ?double virgule? escapement. However, the 21 year old Pierre-Augustin Caron, son of another horloger du Roi, Andre-Charles Caron, wrote in an open letter to the Mercure de France that in July 1753 he had shown Le Paute the escapement, of his own invention, and that Le Paute had copied it and claimed it for his own. The affair caused such a stir that the matter was referred to the Academie Royale des Sciences and on March 4, 1754 they ruled in favor of Caron as the inventor. In December 1754, watchmaker Jean Romilly presented another version of the double virgule to the Academy, which that institution decided had been invented independently of Caron. Therefore both watchmakers were credited with its invention. Although the double virgule produced good results it was very rarely used, probably because of the difficulty of making it and its extreme fragility. The present watch has the version of the double virgule as invented by Romilly. Today watches with this escapement are extremely rare.
Literature: La Montre Française, Adolphe Chapiro, Les Editions de l?Amateur, 1991, pp. 140 & 141, figs. 310a-d.