94th Auction
2016/11/12
Lot 305
Lépine, Horloger de l'Impératice à Paris, Movement No. 398, Case No. 340, 49 mm, 99 g, circa 1800
A gentleman's fine quarter repeating pocket watch with cylinder escapement
Case: 18k rose gold. Dial: silver. Movm.: bridge movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, integrated keywinding, three-arm brass balance.
Jean-Antonine Lépine (1720-1814)
Lépine went to Paris in 1744 to work in the shop of André-Charles Caron. He later married Caron's daughter and obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1756. Lépine became known in 1763 when he invented a new striking mechanism for pocket watches, which was made public in the "Mémoires de l'Académie des Sciences" in 1766. Lépine was appointed clockmaker to the king in 1765; he took over his father-in-law's workshop a year later. His idea of replacing the backplate with bridges and cocks made the service of the watches much easier and achieved his breakthrough in 1770. He formed a partnership with Claude-Pierre Raguet in 1792 and called himself "Horloger du Roi" from then on.
A gentleman's fine quarter repeating pocket watch with cylinder escapement
Case: 18k rose gold. Dial: silver. Movm.: bridge movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, integrated keywinding, three-arm brass balance.
Jean-Antonine Lépine (1720-1814)
Lépine went to Paris in 1744 to work in the shop of André-Charles Caron. He later married Caron's daughter and obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1756. Lépine became known in 1763 when he invented a new striking mechanism for pocket watches, which was made public in the "Mémoires de l'Académie des Sciences" in 1766. Lépine was appointed clockmaker to the king in 1765; he took over his father-in-law's workshop a year later. His idea of replacing the backplate with bridges and cocks made the service of the watches much easier and achieved his breakthrough in 1770. He formed a partnership with Claude-Pierre Raguet in 1792 and called himself "Horloger du Roi" from then on.
Sold
estimated
3.500—4.500 €
Price realized
6.500 €