HENRI MOTEL, PARIS, NO. 41. CIRCA 1830

Details

A CHARLES X BRASS-MOUNTED MAHOGANY TWO DAY MARINE CHRONOMETER
HENRI MOTEL, PARIS, NO. 41. CIRCA 1830
BOX: with inset plaque inscribed 'No. 41' to sliding top revealing glazed viewing port, lower section with brass diamond insets to sides, velvet-lined counter-weighted bowl, brass drum case with snap-on base, sliding cover to external winding square, start/stop square below bezel by V, this inscribed 'NO. 41 DEPOT GER DE LA MARINE', DIAL: 80 mm. diameter white enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, signed 'Henri Motel/hger de la Marine/No.41', blued steel Breguet hands, the edge of the dial plate inscribed 'HRI MOTEL HGER DE LA MARINE' MOVEMENT: polished steel pillars, with single chain fusee, maintaining power, diamond endstones to Motel four arm bimetallic balance cut in four places and with four temperature compensation weights, palladium helical spring, pivoted spring detent escapement, the top plate signed 'Construite par hri Motel N. 41'; tipsy winding key, box key
5½ in. (14 cm.) high; 6½ in. (16.5 cm.) square

Provenance

Anonymous sale, Christie's London, 5 December 1995, lot 64.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.

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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. The present chronometer closely resembles another early example, No. 38 (see Sabrier, pp. 605-607). Having studied at the École des Arts et Métiers at Chalons Motel 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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