French chronometer with indirect center seconds Circa 1880

Gold open faced lever watch by Raoul Dussopt
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A very fine and rare French 18 carat gold pocket chronometer with indirect center seconds, a Chronomètre de 1ére Classe de l’Observatoire de Genève, circa 1880. The polished case is engine turned on the back and features a central monogram. The cuvette bears the Besançon gold stamp and is engraved Chronomètre de 1ére Classe de l’Observatoire de Genève Raoul Dussopt Clermont Fd Médaille d’Or – Londres 1885. White enamel dial with radial Roman hours, outer minute divisions, an outermost fifth of a second track with Arabic five minute numerals, a center seconds hand and gold spade hands. Frosted gilt bridge movement with a lever escapement, bimetallic chronometer balance and helical Palladium balance spring.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 99 g
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Signed: Raoul Dussopt Clermont Fd
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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.