French repeating watch with duplex escapement Circa 1810

Gold open faced pocket watch by LePaute
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A fine, small French gentleman’s quarter repeating pocket watch with duplex escapement, circa 1810. This watch showcases a 20-carat gold engine-turned case with a reeded band and a numbered and signed gold dome. The gold engine-turned dial features radial Roman numerals and elegant blued Breguet hands. The watch’s movement is a bridge design, keywind, frosted and gilt, with one hammer, one gong, a temperature-compensating balance spring, and a ring balance.
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Diameter: 37 mm
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Weight: 44 g
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Signed: LePaute à Paris
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Pierre-Basile Lepaute, also known as Sully-Lepaute, was a renowned clockmaker who took over a famous company established in the 1740s. He ran the company with his son, Pierre-Michel Lepaute. During the Empire, he held the title of Horloger de l’Empereur, and during the Restoration and the July Monarchy, he was Horloger du Roi. Lepaute’s company was the main supplier of clocks to the Garde-Meuble during the Empire. In 1819 and 1823, he was admitted to the Exhibitions of the Products of the Industry. The Lepaute family were one of France’s leading clock and watchmaking families. They were exceptional craftsmen, inventors, writers, and researchers. They had many clients, including Louis XV, Louis XVI, Madame du Barry, Duc de Bourbon, the Princesse de Monaco, King Ferdinand VI, King Charles III and Charles IV of Spain.