353 - Père Bouhelier - Early Lever Escapement

Père Bouhelier - Early Lever Escapement An important quarter repeating pocket watch with rare, very early variation of the lever escapement Movm. No. 715, Case No. 13623, Dimensions 53 mm, circa 1820, Weight 112 g, Origin Frankreich Case: 18 K gold, guilloché pattern, engraved monogram, repeating mechnism activated by a pull and twist button in the pendant. Dial: Silver, guilloché pattern. Movm.: Skeletonized, keywind, 2 hammers, 2 gongs, three-arm blued ring balance, large pierced engraved blance cock. The name Bouhelier was very common in the Franche-Comté, where Père Bouhelier was born in the small village of Saint Julien near Charquemont. The area was mainly occupied by farmers but in winter time people produced cylinder escapements for French and Swiss watchmakers. All of the very few watches that are known to have been made by Père Bouhelier are fitted with the same caliber and have the same linear lever escapement type. The design of the caliber itself is unusual and quite simple; it is difficult to determine whether it was behind the times or even technologically ahead of its time. Père Bouhelier was a priest who was forced to leave his country for England during the French Revolution, so one might assume that he taught himself to make lever escapements during his stay in exile. We had an almost identical watch in our 89th auction in May 2014 (lot 355). Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movm.: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended.