French ship’s chronometer with power reserve Circa 1880

Small ship’s chronometer in a mahogany box by E. Delépine
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A small French ship’s chronometer with 49-hour power reserve indicator, circa 1880.
The case is mahogany, brass inlays, with screwed on handles, case key, brass gimbals and bowl, and two-body with glass and slide. The signed, numbered silvered dial has radial Roman hours, large auxiliary seconds, 49-hour power reserve indicator, and blued Breguet hands. And the numbered brass movement, diameter 71 mm, has conical movement pillars, chain/fusee, spring detent escapement according to Thomas Earnshaw, bimetallic chronometer balance with two weights, two adjusting nuts and two screws, free-sprung blued helical balance spring, and chatoned ruby endstones on balance and escape wheel.
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Diameter: 71 mm
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Dimensions box: 170 x 185 x 170 mm
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Signed: E. Delépine, Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes
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Etienne Emile Delépine (1848-1905)
Delépine was born and lived in St. Nicholas d’Aliermont near Dieppe, France. He exhibited chronometers in Rouen 1895 and gained a Grand Prix in Paris, 1910. He entered the Trials for the French National Marine in 1886 and came 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th. He was also a great watchmaker and at one time made 2000 movements a month. He had a fine character and was good with his staff. He fixed his own working hours which were 10-13 hours per day with no holidays. Women worked at home. The population of St. Nicholas at that time was about 2,000 of which 700-800 were horological craftswomen and craftsmen, mainly sending their products to Paris and England. All chronometers sent to the Navy had a 2-year test. If they failed, no payment was made.
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Messageries Maritimes
The Messageries Maritimes is an old French maritime company. It was originally created in 1851 as Messageries Nationales, later called Messageries Impériales, and in 1871, Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes.