36,800 CHF
Vanier, rue Ste. Anne à Paris, No. 486-83/8, with Paris hallmarks for 1783. Extremely rare silver centre seconds watch with special escapement. Double body, Louis XVI, polished. White enamel with Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute and seconds ring. Gold "fleurs de lys" and blued steel counterpoised centre seconds hands. Hinged gilt brass full plate with conical pillars, fusee with chain, frictional-rest escapement of Sully type as improved by Pierre Le Roy, plain gilt brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring, engraved giIt brass balance bridge with polished steel end-piece. Signed on the dial and back plate. In very good condition. Diam. 60 mm. Notes The escapement of this watch is very similar to that invented by Pierre Le Roy for the Petite Ronde, " small watch "à l'usage des astronomes et des marins", presented to the Académie Royale des Sciences in 1771 and tried by Verdun de la Crenne, Borda and Pingre along their trip "fait par ordre du Roi en 1771 et 1772, en diverses parties de l' Europe, de l'Afrique et de l'Amérique, à bord de la frégate La Flore."
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1994-10-15
