62,100 HKD
Lepine, Horloger du Roy, Invenit et Fecit, No. 2176, circar 1775. Very fine and rare 18K gold and enamel, diamond-set, early quarter dumb repeating watch partly with wolf tooth train and special escapement. Double body, Louis XVI, by Guillaume Mermillod (Master mark), with fixed diamond-set bezels and bow, concealed hinge, opening by twisting the pendant set with a large rose-cut diamond, the back of blue translucent enamel over engine-turning. Hinged gilt brass cuvette. White enamel with radial Arabic hour and minute numerals. Diamond-set Louis XVI hands. Gilt brass, early Lepine calibre, the free standing barrel with wolf teeth, virgule escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring. Repeating on the case by depressing the pendant, with two massive polished hammers. Signed on the dial and the cuvette. In very good condition. Diam. 35 mm. Notes Very fine example of a typical Lepine watch fitted with his main inventions: his case with concealed hinge, opening by twisting the pendant, his calibre with free standing barrel and the virgule escapement, as described and illustrated by Moinet in Trade d'Horlogerie tlloderne, [dale X. According to A. Chapiro, in his book: Lepine 1-bringer (1720- 1814) - Editions de ('amateur, p. 200, the wolf tooth train was invented by Lepine circa 1771 in order to improve the gearing, but was scarcely usecl before 1787 and, after 1789, on watches numbered 5200 to 5711. Only very few examples are known as early as 1775. This Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1997-06-09
