Lot Essay
Jean Baptiste Baillon (Paris, c. 1751-1770), received as a master-horloger in 1727, came from a long line of clockmakers. He went on to achieve great success as "the richest watchmaker in Europe," according to F.J Britten. One of the most significant horologists of the 18th century, he established a private factory in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Baillon was so well regarded that he was clockmaker to Queen Marie Leszinska, wife of Louis XV, King of France, as well as Marie Antoinette.