Lepine. A very fine silver and pink gold openface watch with Lepine calibre movement and virgule escapement

SIGNED LEPINE, INVENIT ET FECIT A PARIS, NO. 6169, CASE STAMPED PBT FOR PIERRE BENJAMIN TAVERNIER AND NUMBERED 2395, CIRCA 1790

Details

Lepine. A very fine silver and pink gold openface watch with Lepine calibre movement and virgule escapement
Signed Lepine, Invenit et Fecit a Paris, No. 6169, case stamped PBT for Pierre Benjamin Tavernier and numbered 2395, circa 1790
With Lépine calibre gilt-finished movement with free standing barrel, virgule escapement, wolf's tooth winding, plain three arm brass balance with parachute on the top pivot, gold cuvette, the white enamel dial with Roman numerals, blued steel moon-style hands, subsidiary seconds, in large circular engine-turned silver case with pink gold bezel and rim, silver and pink gold pendant, case stamped PBT for Pierre Benjamin Tavernier in a lozenge and numbered 2395, cuvette signed Lépine and numbered 6169, dial and movement signed Lépine
58 mm. diam.

Lot Essay

The inscription "Invenit et Fecit" on the present watch refers to its movement, the famous Lépine calibre. It is furthermore fitted with a "virgule" escapement which Lépine claimed to be the inventor around 1750. It derived its name from the shape of the moving part of the balance staff, resembling a "comma" or "virgule" in French.

The case of the present watch is stamped PBT for Pierre Benjamin Tavernier. The renowned case maker located in Paris supplied his exceptional cases to the most famous watchmakers of the time, notably Breguet, Lépine, Ferdinand Berthoud and others.

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