281 - Robin à Paris - The Altar of Love

Robin à Paris - The Altar of Love (*) A Parisian gold enamel pocket watch of museum quality, studded with half-pearls Dimensions: 53 mm, circa 1800, Weight: 64 g, Origin: France Case: 18K gold and polychrome enamel, half-pearls. Dial: Enamel. Movement: 1/2-plate movement, key-wound, large mainspring barrel, three-arm brass balance. The pendant and bow are embellished with areas of translucent enamel, and the bezels on both the front and back are decorated with softly shimmering half-pearls, with a double row of them on the back. The back also features a translucent cobalt-blue enamel medallion on a guilloché background, depicting a finely painted miniature of a couple in contemporary dress at an altar of love with a burning heart. Robert Robin (1742–1799) was a clever and imaginative watchmaker—he was also very ambitious and held many titles and offices during his lifetime. His inventions and designs made him one of a small group of important watchmakers who greatly influenced horological technology at the end of the 18th century and who made significant improvements to timekeeping instruments. Robin’s career took off when the Académie des Sciences approved two of his inventions in 1778; during the same period, he also improved his exquisite mantel clocks by equipping them with astronomical indicators and a compensated pendulum. Robin used the same designs for all of his clocks, and their cases were always elegant and had an unusually modern appeal. All his pieces were in high demand at court and among the king’s household, and Robin delivered a large number of clocks to the court. The inventory lists for 1788 show that the king and his household owned seven of Robin’s clocks—in 1793, the queen alone owned 23, while Monsieur, the brother of King Louis XVI, had about ten in his possession. Favored by the royal family, Robin’s clocks were highly sought after by members of Parisian high society, and he counted the most renowned figures among his clientele. Robin’s clocks were purchased, for example, by Marshals Duc de Duras and Duc de Richelieu, who were the king’s personal valets, and by the Marquis de Sérent, who served as tutor to the Dukes of Angoulême and Berry. Source: "Les Ouvriers du Temps," by Jean-Dominique Augarde, Antiquorum Editions, 1996. Case: very good, micro-scratches, pearl missing. Dial: very good, slightly chipped. Movement: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended.