104th Auction

2021/5/22

Lot 451

Jean-Antonine Lépine
St. Georg

An ornamental verge pocket watch in a ball-shaped neo-renaissance silver case with corresponding splendour chatelaine

Sold

estimated
3.0004.500 €
Price realized
3.000 €
specific features
Case
Silver, glazed on both sides.
Dial
Champlevé enamel.
Movement
Full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm brass balance.
Diam.33 mm
Circa1780/1870
Ctry.French and Austrian-Hungarian
Wt.103 g


The three strings of the silver chatelaine for watch, key and signet consist of individual links that are lavishly embellished with turquoise beads and garnets. The chatelaine is stamped with the Austrian-Hungarian silver seal of the period and the master’s mark HB. The exquisitely finished clip is decorated with the image of Saint George on his horse, defeating the dragon; traces of polychrome enamel are still visible.
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According to the concept of historicism, which draws its inspiration from historic styles and art, the verge movement dating from the 18th century was fitted with a new case and a new, Renaissance-style dial; to present it at its best, it was set into a sphere of glass and silver, which was then attached to the magnificent chatelaine.
Jean-Antonine Lépine (1720-1814) went to Paris in 1744 to work in the shop of André-Charles Caron. He later married Caron's daughter and obtained his master craftsman's certificate in 1756. Lépine became known in 1763 when he invented a new striking mechanism for pocket watches, which was made public in the "Mémoires de l'Académie des Sciences" in 1766. Lépine was appointed clockmaker to the king in 1765; he took over his father-in-law's workshop a year later. His idea of replacing the backplate with bridges and cocks made the service of the watches much easier and achieved his breakthrough in 1770. He formed a partnership with Claude-Pierre Raguet in 1792 and called himself "Horloger du Roi" from then on.