8,510 CHF
The Revolutionary watch French, circa 1794. Very fine and rare silver Revolutionary watch with Republican date, decimal and duodecimal time, and dial painted on enamel with Revolutionary symbols. Two-body, "Directoire", polished. White enamel, with concentric indication of decimal time in black radial Roman numerals and Arabic 100 minute divisions, and duodecimal time in red Arabic numerals, with 60-minute divisions, inner Revolutionary date, center painted with Revolutionary symbols. Brass and gold pierced hands. 42 mm, hinged, frosted gilt full-plate with pentagonal baluster pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement brass balance with flat balance spring, continental cock.Diam. 51 mm. Notes Lots 326 to 337, Property of a French Collector After the French Revolution, a new digital system was adopted. The 24-hour day was divided into ten hours, each having 100 minutes, each minute being subdivided into 100 seconds. Thus, for example, 12:30 PM was 5:20:83.3 in decimal time. The decimal-ization of time was introduced on November 24, 1793. The new division of time proved impossible to enforce, because the traditional system was too deeply ingrained in people’s minds, and was suspended on April 7, 1795. Thus, there was a period of less than 18 months during which these timepieces were produced, which explains why they are so rare.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-04-24
