A CHARLES X MAHOGANY TWO DAY MARINE CHRONOMETER

HENRI MOTEL, HORLOGER DE LA MARINE, NO. 107. CIRCA 1830

Details

A CHARLES X MAHOGANY TWO DAY MARINE CHRONOMETER
HENRI MOTEL, HORLOGER DE LA MARINE, NO. 107. CIRCA 1830
BOX: two-tier box, top sliding cover with brass plaque, brass gimbal and green velvet-lined counter-weighted bowl, brass drum case with sliding cover to external winding, start/stop square to VI DIAL: 80 mm. diameter silvered dial with subsidiary seconds, signed 'Henri Motel/hger de la Marine Rle/N.107', blued steel Breguet hands; tipsy winding key numbered '107' and with female square in handle for stop/start MOVEMENT: substantial brass cock carrying fusee with Harrison's maintaining power and stop-work, barrel and centre wheel, inscribed 'N 107 HRI MOTEL HGER DE LA MARINE RLE', sub-frame carrying the remainder of the train, Motel pivoted detent escapement to four-armed cut bimetallic balance with temperature compensation weights, blued steel conical balance spring; winding key
5½ in. (14 cm.) high; 6¼ in. (16 cm.) square

Provenance

Christie's London, the property of a private collector, 25 November 1997, lot 50, when acquired by the present owner.

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Giles Forster

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Lot Essay

J-C. Sabrier, (La Longitude en Mer à l'heure de Louis Berthoud et Henri Motel, Geneva, 1993, p. 593) notes that Jean-Francois Henri Motel (1786-1859) was Louis Berthoud's (1754-1813) best known pupil (see lot 339). Having studied at the École des Arts et Métiers at Chalons he went at Government expense to work with Berthoud. He had just finished his apprenticeship in 1813 when Louis Berthoud died. He stayed on to run the workshop. In 1823 Motel was given the highest accolade and made Horloger de la Marine. He had left the Berthoud workshop by 1817 and did some occasional contract work for Breguet whilst the Ministry of the Marine sent him chronometers for repair. By 1821 he was in full production, making his own chronometers. His grande marines were sold for around 2,400 francs with deck watches or petite marines selling for about 1,500 francs.

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