French refined Louis Berthoud marine deck chronometer Circa 1840

Important chronometer with pivoted detent escapement
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An important, highly refined and numbered marine deck chronometer with pivoted detent escapement in the manner of Louis Berthoud, made by Henri Motel, Horloger de la Marine Royale, in Paris, France, circa 1840. The open faced plain brass case is screwed in to a wooden box and the silvered dial has black Roman hour numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial with Arabic numerals and blued steel hands. The very fine chronometer movement with pivoted detent chronometer escapement in the manner of Berthoud, has front winding and a blued conical balance spring.
Dial and movement have matching numbers and are signed.
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Diameter:  10 cm
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Dimensions: 15 x 13.5 cm (box)
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Signed: H. Motel, H^ger de la Marine R^le
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Jean-Francois Henri Motel
Jean-François Henri Motel (1786-1857) was born in Margny-Lès-Compiègne, France, on December 31, 1786 and is considered the best known of Berthoud’s pupils. His father, Louis Nicolas Motel, was a farmer and inn owner. Henri went first to school in Prytanée and then to the Ecole des Arts et Métiers in Chalons. In 1806, he received the qualification of candidate and was chosen to study watchmaking in Paris at the state’s expense. His tutor was Louis Berthoud, ‘Horloger Mécanicien de la Marine’ (watchmaker to the French Marine). Motel had barely completed his apprenticeship with Berthoud when Berthoud died suddenly in September 1813. Berthoud’s widow asked Motel to continue Berthoud’s workshop and train his sons further. In August 1819, Motel married Louise Elisabeth Herbet, and in 1823, he settled in the Rue de l’Abbaye. In 1827, he presented his works for the first time and received a silver medal from the jury for his chronometers and astronomical clocks, as well as the comment… nobody keeps time as precisely as Motel.
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The watch was part of one of the most important European chronometer collections.