French gold watch with Revolutionary decimal hours Circa 1795
- Kenmerk
- AL2776
- Diameter
- 52 mm
- Estimate
- € 4.500 - 9.000
- Price sold
- € 3.950
Gold open faced verge pocket watch
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A rare French 18 carat gold open faced pocket watch with decimal and duodecimal time indication made by Revet in Paris, circa 1795. The round hinged case of this watch has a smooth back and a visible hallmark from the Revolutionary period. The white enamel dial features concentric indication of decimal time with Roman hour numerals and 100 minute divisions with Arabic 100 and 50, and outer duodecimal time with stylized Arabic hour markers from 1 to 12, an outermost minute track with Arabic quarter hours and a double set of hands. Its key wound mechanical movement is signed, and has a verge escapement, cock and balance spring.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Weight: 93 g
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Signed: Revet à Paris
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Decimal time
The French introduced decimal time during the French Revolution of 1789 and divided the day into 10 decimal hours. Every hour had 100 decimal minutes and every decimal minute 100 decimal seconds. The decree was issued on November 24th, 1793 and stipulated that midnight was 10 o’clock and noon was 5 o’clock. Some watches from this period show both decimal and duodecimal time. The mandatory use of decimal time was officially suspended in 1795.
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Duodecimal
The duodecimal system, also known as base twelve or dozenal, is a positional numeral system using twelve as its base.
Signed: Revet à Paris






















