Skeleton clock "Gautrin in Paris" - Circa 1805
Period: Napoleon 1st

Superb skeleton clock in gilded bronze.

It rests on four flattened ball feet
Surmounted by four columns
A couple of doves rest in the center
(wedding gift ?)

White enamelled and signed annular dial
Black roman numerals
Movement visible in the center

It is surmounted by an imperial eagle

Dimensions:
Height: 40 cm
Diameter: 14 cm

8 days mechanical movement

Ringtone (1 gong at 1:00 a.m., 2 gongs at 2:00 a.m., etc.)
and a gong for half an hour

Very good condition

Fully serviced in May 2021 by a professional watchmaker, the clock is in perfect working order.

History:

Pierre-François Gautrin is the source of essential watchmaking know-how handed down over the centuries. A master watchmaker in Paris in 1767, he exercised his talents with the nobility and the bourgeoisie of the time, from the Place Dauphine to the barrier of the temple in 1789.
1799 is a key year for the master watchmaker, because it is the year in which he designs his one-wheel watch, called "Louis Capet", the nickname given to Louis XVI by the revolutionaries. This revolutionary period was a period of great production for Pierre-François Gautrin who created numerous examples of this watch. The one-wheel watch constitutes an important technical advance for the world of watchmaking.

These watches were often signed with these few words "Gautrin in Paris". Technical knowledge and know-how were essential for Pierre-François Gautrin who knew how to create models of fine watchmaking, very rare nowadays and coveted by collectors of old watches.

Wheel watches, a considerable technical advance
The watches made by Pierre-François Gautrin are decorated in a very marked Louis XVI style. The decoration is executed for most of the watches in engraved brass.
The master watchmaker's wheel watches are one of a kind and very complex, which is where the interest of these creations lies. Rare specificities can be included in these high-tech watches, such as the advance / delay balance adjustment or even the programming of ring tones.

The progression of the odds of the old
Gautrin watches are very technical and old objects. Their presence in the market is very rare, which makes their rating quite high. Like most old watch models, collectors have a growing interest in Gautrin watches.