French gold watch with pivoted detent escapement Circa 1850

Gold chronometer marine deck watch
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A very fine and rare marine deck watch with pivoted detent escapement, circa 1850. Deck Chronometer by Henri Motel, Horloger de la Marine, Paris. Triple-body mahogany deck watch box. Brass case en forme de tabatière secured inside the mahogany box. Silvered dial, radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands.

Brass movement, fusee with Harrisson’s maintaining power and chain under separate bridge, another for the train, escapement in duo-plan arrangement, Motel’s pivoted detent escapement of Louis Berthoud design, four-arm cut bimetallic balance with sliding temperature weights, free-sprung blued steel conical balance spring, jeweled impulse with protection strip, locking and unlocking pallets, escape wheel teeth with pin holes for oil retention. Signed on dial, case and movement. Dimension: 17 x 14 x 9 cm.
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Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 9 cm
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Signed: Henri Motel  Paris
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This is an excellent example of the final development of Motel’s chronometers, with the final shape of the fusee curve, the isochronous conical balance spring, and a superbly finished escapement with curved studs, jeweled and capped balance and escape wheel, with ruby locking, unlocking, and impulse jewels.