A substantial and very fine gold and enamel dumb repeating cylinder watch, by this prestigious Paris maker. Very unusual and rare dial.

MOVEMENT : Fine quality gilded cylinder movement, with hanging barrels and skeletonised wheel work. Good original condition with both watch and repeating movements running well. The repeat is activated by depressing the pendant, causing a single polished steel hammer to strike the case with single strikes for the hours and doubles for the quarters.

The gilt sprung/hinged cuvette is engraved as follows :

No. 5490

Remonte a droite

Tournel Eguille

Lepine horologer du Roy

A PARIS

This springs open when the catch is pressed.

DIAL : 45.5 mm. White enamel, signed “Lepine inv. & fecit”. Very fine condition. Nice gold hands.

The outer chapter ring has red Arabic numerals indicating the minutes but the inner hour numerals, in black, are a bizarre combination of a mixture of Arabic, Roman and combined numerals.

CASE : Diameter 52.5 mm. Gold with enamel bezel and back. Rubbed hallmark on the inside of the back and a tiny French gold mark on the stem (possibly an eagle’s head).

The gold is in good condition throughout except for some scratches on the inside of the back. The hinge and crystal are fine and the case closes properly.

The enamel is in good condition with no repairs and the following minor blemishes. Some scratches to the orange concave disk on the back, two of the silver enamel ‘pearls’ missing from the disk, four of the tine white enamel ‘pearls’ missing from the band at the hinge and one tiny chip missing from the outer white enamel ring on the front. A wonderful case which has survived well.

Jean Antoine Lepine worked in Paris (from Geneva) from 1744 until 1810. During some of this time he was the horologer to Louis XV.