French verge with decimal and double normal time Circa 1794

Silver extremely rare open faced pocket watch
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An extremely rare, large and heavy French verge pocket watch with revolution decimal time 1-10 and double normal time 1-12, circa 1794.
Plain silver case. White enamel dial with double inner Arabic hours 1-12, outer Arabic hours 1-10, outer Arabic minutes 10-100, outer date indication, spade hand for decimal minutes, double serpentine hand for decimal hours and normal time and baton hand for date. Fire-gilt full plate movement, chain/fusee, verge escapement, three armed steel balance, blued balance spring, fine florally engraved and pierced balance bridge. Dial signed.
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Diameter: 61 mm
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Weight: 151 g
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Signed: De Belle à Paris – Le Chevallier au Havre
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Decimal time. The French introduced decimal time during the French Revolution and divided the day in 10 decimal hours. Every hour had 100 decimal minutes and every decimal minute 100 decimal seconds. The decree was issued on November 24, 1793 (4 Frimaire II) 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. Mandatory use of decimal time was officially suspended in 1795.