Important French chronometer with chronograph Circa 1890

Le Roy pocket watch with central counter
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An important chronometer with chronograph, central counter and numbered, made by Leroy in Paris, France, circa 1890. The open faced case is made of 18 Carat gold and has a monogram on the back. The dust cover has an enscription “Au docteur J. Pioger, souvenir affectueux André et Raymond Stouvenaut, 1^er Janvier 1890” (To Doctor J. Pioger, in affectionate memory from André and Raymond Stouvenaut, 1^st of January 1890) on one side and is signed on the other. The white enamel dial has an outer ring with small Arabic numerals for the minutes, large Roman numerals for the hours, a subsidiary dial at six o’clock for the seconds, gold hands and also features hands for centre seconds and the central minute counter. The movement has an extremely rare calibre, an anchor chronometer escapement with a particularly large chronometer balance, Wolf’s teeth and a chronograph with a central minute counter.
Case completely signed and numbered and dated January 1, 1890
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 107 g
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Signed: Leroy & Fils, L.Leroy & C^ie Suc^rs, H^gers de la Marine
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Chronometers of this quality with chronograph and central counter are extremely rare and sought after collector’s watches!
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Leroy & Fils
Leroy et fils was a French company making clocks and watches. The company was founded in 1785 by Basile Charles Leroy (1765–1839), who later passed it on to his son, Charles-Louis Leroy. They became successful and survived the turmoils of the French Revolution. It became clockmaker to Napoleon I, his sister Princess Pauline, Mme Mere and the King of Westphalia. After the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, it was a warrant holder for the Duke of Bourbon.

A shop was opened in London, in 1854 at 296 Regent Street under the name of Le Roy and Son. The name was later changed to Leroy and Fils. A second shop was opened in London in 1885 at 57 New Bond Street. Leroy and Fils was a British Royal Warrant holder to Queen Victoria and was the only foreign clockmaker who held a British royal warrant.