French gold watch with decimal and duodecimal time Circa 1794

Gold open faced verge pocket watch
–
A very fine and very rare French, gold Revolutionary watch with decimal and duodecimal time, circa 1794. A polished case, white enamel dial with concentric indication of decimal time in black radial Arabic numerals and Arabic 100 minute divisions, and duodecimal time in radial Roman numerals I-XII in each half of the dial, with outermost 60-minute divisions. Three pierced gold hands. A hinged, frosted gilt full plate movement with cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, short wheel train, verge escapement with micrometric potence adjustment, brass three-arm balance with flat balance spring, continental cock, silver regulation dial. Dial signed. Property of a French Collector.
–
Diameter: 53 mm
–
Signed: Cuenin  Besançon
–
This watch is evocative of a brief and turbulent period in French history when the new Republic decreed the use of decimal time. After the Revolution, a new digital system was adopted. The day was divided into ten hours of 100 minutes each, each minute being subdivided into 100 seconds. Thus, for example, 12:30 PM was 5:20:83.3 in decimal time. The decimalization of time was introduced on November 24, 1793. The new division of time proved impossible to enforce and was suspended on April 7, 1795. Thus, there was a period of fewer than 18 months during which these timepieces were produced, which explains why they are so rare. See Revolutionary Time by Fabien Chicha, Vox Magazine, 2004.