Nicolas Gribelin

Nicolas Gribelin, Paris, circa 1675. Particularly fine early silver watch with alarum, and a most unusual decoration on the case. Double body, bassine with split bezel, the border of the back finely pierced and engraved with inhabited foliage (see note below). Plain polished silver with engraved Roman chapters, half and quarter hour divisions, and inner revolving alarm setting disc with Arabic numerals. Blued-steel hour pointer and single hand for alarm setting. Hinged gilt brass full plate with Egyptian pillars, fusee with gut-line, worm-andwheel set-up with blued-steel finely pierced brackets, verge escapement, plain two-arm steel balance without spring, silver oval cock with small foot, secured by a screw, and pierced and engraved with foliage. Alarm train with fixed silver barrel, pierced and engraved with foliage, steel train and blued-steel stop-work, striking on a bell. Signed on the back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 50 mm. Notes Nicolas, son of Abraham, and grandson of Simon. Born in Blois in 1637, he was received as master at faubourg Saint-Germain-des-Pres circa 1660, and in Paris on 5 June 1675. He was Garde Visiteur from 1676-1678 and 1684-1686, and Clockmaker to Monsieur le Dauphin before 1674. Established in the rue de Bussy in 1682. With Baltazar Martinot II, he organised a grand lottery of docks etc at Court in 1695, and also worked with l'Abbé Hauteville with a view to producing 8-day watches. He died in 1719. The theme chosen to decorate the p