Ernest Tissot

Ernest Tissot, Paris, circa 1900. "La Montre du XXeme siecle" Fine and unusual 18K pink gold hunting cased, keyless watch with 24-hour dial, duo-decimal and decimal minutes and centre seconds. Four body, massive, "bassine", polished, the back engraved: La Montre du XXeme siecle, the cover with a dedication. Hinged gold cuvette. Notes New Decimal Time Almost exactly 100 years after the failure of Republican time, which the Convention Nationale tried to impose in France in 1793, together with the Metric System in 1793, at the Congress of the Societe Francai.se de Geographic, in Tours, Mr. J. de Rey Pailhade, the President of the Societe de Geograjhie of Toulouse, drew the attention of his colleagues to the advantage of decimal ti me and of decimal division of the circle, for scientific calculations and drawing of geographic maps. This was the beginning of a crusade which led to a bill, introduced at the Ghantbre des Deputes by Mlvi. Delaune and Gouzy, in 1899: Art. 1 - The clay is to be divided into 24 hours, each hour into 100 minutes and each minute into 100 seconds. Art. 2 - Decimal time will be official in France as of January 1st, 1900. Art. 3 - The longitude will be calculated from 0 to 240 degrees from East to West, starting from a first meridian to be determined by the Acadentie des Sciences. Art. 4 - Legal time, for France and its colonies, calculated from the 1st meridian, according to Art. 3 above, will be official as of January 1st, 1900. The conunission' Read more…