Hommage to Rousseau

Hommage to Rousseau. Unsigned, Swiss, circa 1795.Fine and rare 18 ct. gold watch with enamelled decimal Revolutionary dial, traditional duo-decimal dial and Revolutionary calendar. Two-body, polished. 46.8 mm o, hinged, gilt brass full plate, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain for the going train, verge escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, blued-steel balance spring, continental cock pierced and engraved with four tulips.Diam. 57 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, pages 178-179. Notes After the French Revolution a new digital calendar was adopted, the entire time measurement system was changed. The revolutionary year was divided into 12 equal months having 30 days each and an additional 5-day (6-day in a leap year) holiday month; each month was divided into three decades, each having 10 days. The 24-hour day was divided into ten hours, each having 100 minutes, each minute subdivided into 100 seconds. The law was introduced on 24 November 1793 and the provision for decimal hous was suspended on 7 April 1795. we have a period of 18 months during which these watches were produced. the republican calendar law was effective until 9 September 1805.It is quite unusual to find Revolutionary watches with gold cases, since the use of precious metals went against the egalitarian philosophy of the Revolution. It is probable that most of these gold watches were made in Switzerland, and very few of them have survived to the present day.TulipomaniaTulip cases, pendants, hands, Read more…