Belgian 18K gold Lépine watch with rare caliber and date Circa 1790

Gold grande sonnerie quarter repeater
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An extremely rare and large grande sonnerie quarter repeating Lépine pocket watch with date made by Lambert Jh. Laguesse in Liège, Belgium, circa 1790. The open faced case of this watch, which was crafted from 18 carat gold, is plain with a ring of small pierced sound holes on the back and has a bell. The white enamel dial has Roman hours, outer minute dots with Arabic 15 minute numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, date indication at 12 and blued steel moon hands. The watch has an extremely rare caliber with two independent striking movements. The quarter hour repeater movement under the dial can be released by pressing the pendant and the numbered, unusual grande sonnerie movement on the plate next to the crescent shaped cock has a cylinder escapement and lever to mute the bell.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 62 mm
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Weight: 183 g
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Signed: L. Jh. Laguesse à Liège
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With a diameter of 62 mm and a weight of 183 g, this piece is an extremely unusual and impressive early pocket watch with auxiliary seconds and very rare complications. Most striking watches of this period strike on gongs. This version of the grande sonnerie striking on a bell is thus extremely rare and atypical.
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The grande sonnerie is considered the most complex and prestigious chiming mechanism in pocket watchmaking. It chimes the hours, quarters and minutes with a combination of gongs and hammers. The watch strikes the hours on a low pitched gong, followed by the quarters on a higher pitched gong and then the minutes on a third gong. This harmonious sequence repeats throughout the hour, creating a captivating symphony of sound.
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Laguesse
Lambert Jh. Laguesse was born on September 24, 1749 in Liège, Belgium and baptized on the same day in the St. Nicholas Church in Outremeuse. He was the son of Antoine Laguesse (?-1714) and Marie Jh. Franck (1716-1794).

Lambert married Marie-Anne-Jeanne Genin (1751-1824) on January 19, 1777 in Liège. From this marriage seven children were born. The son Louis Jh. moved to Paris as an entrepreneur. Daughter Marguerite Joséphine became a writer and married the industrial Louis Jamme who was also mayor of Liège. Daughter Antoinette married Jean François Jamme.

In the Pavlovsk Palace near Saint Petersburg in Russia there is a skeleton pendulum by Laguesse with enamelling by Joseph Coteau.

Lambert Jh. Laguesse died 82 years old, on September 1, 1831.