Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 470

French, circa 1795. Very fine and rare gilt brass center seconds table regulator with revolutionary calendar and duode-cimal hours.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

EUR 12,600 - 19,000 / USD 15,600 - 23,500

Sold: CHF 46,000

C. Rectangular, glazed on all sides, molded base and top, decorated bezel with gilt brass oak-leave appliquébelow.D. White enamel chapter ring, Breguet numerals, outer minute/seconds divisions, outermost revolu-tionary30-day date within paillon and enamel frame simulating rubies and emeralds, innermost revolutionarymonths, center skeletonized to view the motion work. Elaborate pierced and engraved gilt hands.M. 128 mm,brass, going barrels, pin-wheel escapement with escape wheel set on the back plate, brass/iron gridiron pen-dulumwith large brass bob, knife-edge suspension with micrometric crutch regulation, count wheel on theback plate.Dim. Height 47 mm


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 19 - 01

Notes

This is a rare clock made just after the suspension of the provision for decimal hours on April 7, 1795, while the pro-vision for the revolutionary calendar was still in effect for the next ten years. After the French Revolution, a new digital system was adopted, affecting weights and measures as well as time. The 24-hour day was divided into ten hours, each having 100 minutes, each minute being subdivided into 100 seconds. Thus, for example, 12:30 PM was 5:20:83.3 in decimal time. The decimalization of time was introduced on November 24, 1793. Whereas the new standards for weights and measures were relatively easy to implement, the new division of time proved impossible to enforce because the traditional system was too deeply ingrained in people?s minds. There-fore, the provision for decimal hours was suspended on April 7, 1795.