Antique Late 18th-century Lépine Verge movement key wind 18kt gold, a silver pocket watch with a case decorated with blue enamel, and a silver casket of flower bouquet, set of paste. Hallmarked on movement, French 18kt. gold standard marks ( eagles's head ), PARIS, Lépine , 3360. The timekeeping accuracy of the watches has not been verified. It's recommended that they undergo a service to ensure optimal performance and precision. Before Jean-Antoine Lépine, there were no watches, just small portable clocks. After his career as watchmaker to French King Louis XV, every fine lady or gentleman wanted a watch in their pocket. His new design transformed the shape of the watch, the process of manufacturing, and the very organization of the watch industry itself. Almost every watch produced over the past century and a half could legitimately be called “Lépine” in its basic design, yet today the term is usually used to refer to the fairly uncommon practice of locating a small seconds subdial at 9:00. Jean-Antoine Lépine was born near Geneva in 1720 and moved to Paris, where his work brought him life-long fame. He married a daughter of watchmaker André-Charles Caron and became his business partner. He also became part of Caron’s family, including brother-in-law polymath Pierre-Augustin “Beaumarchais” (a watchmaker who funnelled French money to American revolutionaries and wrote the Figaro plays) and sister-in-law artist Marie-Josèphe. Lépine invented an entirely new way of constructing a watch on a single main plate, dispensing with the fusée and chain and placing the balance on the same plane as the wheel train. Rather than sandwiching the wheels between two plates separated by pillars, Lépine screwed bridges and cocks to the main plate. This allowed for much slimmer watches, improved durability, and made assembly and maintenance easier. The invention was credited for giving French watchmakers an advantage over the then-dominant of English in the mid-19th century. Lépine’s movements look more modern Lépine’s arrangement of the wheel train was widely adopted, and the machined main plate became the critical component in watchmaking. Soon, Frédéric Japy established his ebauche factory in Beaucourt, seeding a few basic wheel arrangements to nearly every 19th-century watchmaker. This system of wheels and bridges affixed to a main plate was known at the time as “Lépine” and remains in use today. Another Lépine invention was equally important. Rather than a Fusée and chain, Lépine used a spring barrel with teeth that meshed directly with the wheels of the movement. Force was regulated by a specially-shaped mainspring rather than the chain, a simplification we continue to rely on today. Details: Circa Date: 1750's Case size: 33 mm Style: Open Face, swing-out style case Material: 18kt. Gold and Silver Decorations: Enamelled case, paste Dial Colour: White Dial: White enamel Numerals: Roman Numerals Hands: Filigree Hands. Setting: Key Wind/Key Set Escapement: Lépine Signed: Yes. Dimensions: Size: 4.8 x 3.3 x 1.7 cm Weight: 29 grams Condition: This timepiece is pre-owned and shows signs of wear. It is missing a button, and the dial has suffered damage to the enamel and numerals, as well as a hairline between 3 and 4 o'clock. Additionally, there is a loss of enamel on the back and some paste stones are missing. Mozeris Luxury is run by Mozeris Fine Antiques. * All items are cleaned and inspected before being dispatched. * Item will be safely and securely packaged and shipped within one to two working days. * Please note: customs and import charges may apply for international buyers, bidders are responsible for any customs duties fees. * Shipping price includes express delivery service (one to two working days), full insurance, and packaging. * If the winning bidder decides to cancel the purchase, they will bear the risk, and cost of all shipping and return import duties of the seller.