A LOUIS XVI MAHOGANY MONTH-GOING LONGCASE REGULATOR WITH EQUATION OF TIME, YEAR CALENDAR AND REMONTOIRE

ROBIN À PARIS, CIRCA 1775

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A LOUIS XVI MAHOGANY MONTH-GOING LONGCASE REGULATOR WITH EQUATION OF TIME, YEAR CALENDAR AND REMONTOIRE
robin à paris, circa 1775
The white enamel Roman chapter disc with gilt-metal solar hour and minute hands, blued steel mean time minute hand, counterpoised sweep center seconds, the substantial movement with three spring barrels mounted above the dial, two acting on the going train with weight-driven remontoire, deadbeat escapement with adjustable steel pallets and adjustable crutch to the massive gridiron pendulum with nine steel and brass rods of oval section fanned at the top, the front applied with a silvered temperature plaque with a blued steel pointer, the pendulum itself knife-edge suspended from the massive brass movement bracket secured to the backboard, the strike train with going barrel and hour/half-hour strike on a bell on the backplate, the case with forward sliding concave moulded dentilled pediment, glazed sides and trunk door, the plinth with simple moulded foot and raised rectangular panel to the front and sides
81in. (205cm.) high

Lot Essay

Robert Robin, 1742-1799 was born in Paris but very little is known about his early formative years as an apprentice.
In 1778 he published a highly acclaimed article which was presented to the Royal Academy of Science; Mémoire contenant des réflexions sur les propriété du Remontoire, un éschappment naturel avec une courte description d'une pendule dans lacquells ces effets sont exécuté.
In the previous year Robin became Clockmaker to His Royal Highness the Duc de Chartres and in 1782 he became Clockmaker to the King. In the same year he published another work titled Description of a clock indicating seconds, or a machine for measuring time with the greatest precision.
Robin's work included many exceptional watches but he is remembered for his regulators which were all made to the highest possible standard of his time and such examples of his work remain in the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers the Louvres Palaces and the Trianon.

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