LOUIS BERTHOUD, NO 103; CIRCA 1810

Details

A French mahogany two-day marine chronometer
Louis Berthoud, No 103; Circa 1810
The white enamel dial of regulator format signed Louis Berthoud Horger de la Marine, numbered within the subsidiary second dial No. 103, the hours dial (at XII) with Roman hour numerals, outer minutes dial with Arabic five-minute intermarkers 60-5-10 et seque, blued steel hands, the hour and minute being of Breguet format, the frames with radial stoned grain finish, the top-plate inscribed Louis Berthoud No 103, grained finish steel pillars their lower half of conical shape and with square-head polished steel securing nuts, 18,000 quick train, Earnshaw escapement, three-armed cut bimetallic balance each sector carrying a segmental heat compensation weight each with two large brass and one small steel peripheral screws, blued steel helical balance spring without terminal curves all beneath supporting balance bridge with separate top pivot cock, Berthoud pivoted detent with polished steel locking pallet, the movement held within a brass drum with friction bezel inscribed DEPOT GRAL DE LA MARINE, convex glass, the whole in gimballed green velvet-lined counter-weighted brass bowl, two-tier mahogany box, the top with sliding cover above the viewing port with recessed diamond shape plaque inscribed No 103 BIS.
80 mm. dial diam., 140 x 140 x 120 mm. box

Literature

Jean-Claude Sabrier, La Longitude en Mer á l'heure de Louis Berthoud et Henri Motel, Geneva, 1993, p. 548

Lot Essay

The Berthoud workshop journals, Jean-Claude Sabrier op. cit., record;
No. 103 - Grande Montre Marine à suspension, boete de cuivre; Octobre 1808 - J'ai terminé cette montre à mon contentement, et je l'envoie aujourd'hui, 31 Octobre, à paris pour Monsieur Duperray, Capitaine de Vaisseau pour le prix de 2400 Francs, dont la moitié comptant l'autre dans trois mois. Son avance est de 5" par jour. Ouverture; 7'.
A further entry reads;
Ici pour réparations, Août 1812. Cette montre appartient aujourd'hui à Monsieur de Traversay, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, reçue le 23 Mars 1829, pour re nettoyée.
The last chronometer by Louis Berthoud was sold in these rooms, 12 June 1996, lot 405

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