French chronometer with indirect center seconds Circa 1885

Gold open faced pocket watch
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A very fine French 18 carat yellow gold keyless pocket chronometer with indirect center seconds, circa 1885. A Chronomètre de 1ére Classe de l’Observatoire de Genève. The polished case with a cuvette inscribed Médaille d’Or – Londres 1885 Chronomètre avec bulletin de l’Observatoire de Genève Raoul Dussopt Clermont Fd. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions with Arabic five minute numerals, an outermost fifth of a second track, a center seconds hand and gold spade hands. Nickel plated movement with a straight line lever escapement,  going barrel, cut bimetallic compensated balance with gold poising screws, blued steel hairspring with terminal curve and polished steel index regulator.
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Diameter: 49 mm
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Weight: 98 g
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Signed: Raoul Dussopt Clermont-Ferrand
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French watchmaker Raoul Dussopt, born in 1857, worked in Clermont-Ferrand. His workshop was located on Rue de Hôtel-de-Ville. Raoul was trained as a watchmaker at the École Nationale d’Horlogerie in Besançon. He was the author of the book ‘Un mot sur le chronomètre’ (1891), which was also mentioned in Claudius Saunier’s Revue Chronométrique (1891). In 1910, Dussopt died at 53 in his house, Château de l’Ermitage in Clermont-Ferrand.

Raoul Dussopt was probably a brother of Adrien Dussopt, a watchmaker in Billom, about 25 km from Clermont and son of Jean Dussopt.