Rare French gold pocket watch with equation of time Circa 1755

Gold open faced pocket watch by Gréppin
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An extremely fine and rare French gold open faced watch with equation of time, circa 1790. The watch has a gilded full-plate movement with a pin lever escapement, a decoratively pierced and engraved balance bridge, a fusee and chain, and cylindrical pillars. It is signed Gréppin à Paris, No. 1re 785. The white enamel dial features Roman numerals divided into 24 for equation hours, with pink Roman numerals on the upper half and black ones on the lower half. It also includes a steel ring with equation minutes, an outer white enamel chapter ring calibrated for longitudinal hours and minutes, gold hands for equation hours and minutes, and steel hands for longitudinal hours and minutes. The pink gold case has a hinged cover for the winding mechanism, marked with the number 387-7 below the hinged cover and a maker’s mark that is difficult to read.
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Diameter: 53.5 mm
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Signed: Gréppin à Paris
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The dial has a very faint hairline or scratch radiating from the centre towards the signature. The case is in good condition with no dents, but there is a heavier scratch on the case back towards the centre. The movement is not running, although the balance is free.
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Francois Henri Grepin is recorded as working in Paris during the late 18th century as a master between 1776 and 1789, as documented in, G.H. Baillie’s Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World, Third Edition, 1951. Of particular significance on this astronomical watch is the inclusion of the equation of time.