1 / 3
Photo 1/3 du lotPhoto 2/3 du lotPhoto 3/3 du lot
COLLIN DU BOCAGE

203 - LEPAUTE known as DE BELLE FONTAINE in Paris Louis XVI period…
See original version (French)

Estimate €15,000 - €18,000
Sale commission
Description
LEPAUTE known as DE BELLE FONTAINE in Paris Louis XVI period, circa 1780-1790 Louis XVI period floor clock with a mechanical weight-driven movement and a compensated balance, double complication displaying the equation of time, the astronomical perpetual calendar, and the equinoxes and solstices. Dial : white enamel, Roman numerals for the hours and peripheral graduation for the minutes, astronomical calendar showing the months, bronze hands with serpentines and fleur-de-lys, date, seasons, signs of the zodiac and the main events of the solar cycle, including the equinoxes and solstices, The third hand in the centre with a sun indicates the equation of time used to measure the difference between solar time and mean time. The enameller's signature at the bottom of the dial is "Coteau" with the watchmaker's signature "Lepaute de Belle Fontaine" and his title "Hger de Monsieur à Paris". Case: in precious wood veneer decorated with geometric friezes and fillets, with elegant Louis XVI architecture, the door is decorated with a fine chased gilt bronze ring that highlights the dial, the lower part reveals the balance wheel, the whole is glazed on several sides and has a curved shape that tapers towards the top (the cap is missing). Movement: visible through the case is made of brass, it is driven by two cylindrical weights and animated by a compensated lens balance, the set of gears also includes an independent striking train for the hours and half-hours, all of which testifies to meticulous workmanship and a technical design that is typical of the late 18th century. Dimensions: Height: approx. 190 cm Width: approx. 55 cm Depth: approx. 30 cm This clock embodies the most prized qualities of the great Parisian productions of the late Ancien Régime: impeccably executed casework, astronomical complication, perpetual calendar and architectural elegance. JACQUES-JOSEPH LEPAUTE, known as "de Belle Fontaine" (1750-1796), Watchmaker to Monsieur, Paris The signature on the dial of this clock corresponds to Jacques-Joseph Lepaute, known as "de Belle Fontaine", one of the most brilliant representatives of the famous Lepaute dynasty of watchmakers active in Paris in the 18th century. Born in Bellefontaine, near Luxembourg, he belonged to the important line of Lepaute watchmakers from Thonne-la-Long, who played a major role in the development of French watchmaking. He settled in Paris in the second half of the 18th century, practising successively on rue Saint-Honoré, rue Neuve-des-Petits-Champs and rue des Gravilliers. Quickly recognised for the quality of his work, he specialised in high-precision clocks and regulators, as well as clocks with astronomical and calendrical complications for an aristocratic and learned clientele. In 1783, he was awarded the prestigious title of "Horloger de Monsieur", the official watchmaker of Louis-Stanislas-Xavier de France, Count of Provence, brother of Louis XVI and future King Louis XVIII. This distinction was one of the most honoured under the Ancien Régime, and established his rank among the best Parisian watchmakers of his time. His workshops worked with some of the greatest artists and craftsmen of the reign of Louis XVI, including the bronzemakers Robert Osmond, Jean-Baptiste Osmond and François Rémond, as well as the enameller Joseph Coteau, all major figures in the French decorative arts. Lepaute de Bellefontaine's timepieces were distinguished by the quality of their execution, the precision of their movements and the incorporation of sophisticated complications such as equation of time, perpetual calendars and astronomical indications. Several of his creations are now held in prestigious public and royal collections, including Buckingham Palace, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection and the Royal Collections in Warsaw. The clock on display is a remarkable example of Parisian watchmaking at the end of the reign of Louis XVI, and a perfect illustration of the skills of Jacques-Joseph Lepaute de Bellefontaine, Horloger de Monsieur. A member of the famous Lepaute dynasty, he was one of the most renowned watchmakers of the late 18th century. His timepieces, like ours, were often enriched with astronomical and calendrical complications, and today feature in the most important European collections. Lepaute de Bellefontaine: Monsieur's watchmaker in the late 18th century A craftsman at the service of the King's brother Jean-Baptiste-Henri Lepaute de Bellefontaine was one of the representatives of the Lepaute watchmaking dynasty, a family whose influence on 18th-century French watchmaking was considerable. At the end of the Ancien Régime, he held the position of watchmaker to Monsieur - the title given to the king's younger brother, in this case the Count of Provence, the future Louis XVIII - which placed him at the heart of the networks of royal patronage that were characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment. The Lepaute dynasty, a family of royal watchmakers The Lepaute family made its mark in Paris in the mid-eighteenth century. Jean-André Lepaute (1720-1789), the founder of the Lepaute line, became the King's clockmaker and delivered clocks for the Palais du Luxembourg and the École Militaire. In 1755, he published the landmark Traité d'horlogerie, which contributed to the dissemination of technical knowledge in the encyclopaedic spirit of the time. Lepaute mainly produced parquet clocks, mantel clocks and regulators - precision clocks with compensated balance used as time standards. The Revolution and the breaking up of royal offices The French Revolution of 1789 put an end to the system of royal offices and titles. The Count of Provence went into exile in 1791, depriving Lepaute de Bellefontaine of its main institutional sponsor. Lepaute nonetheless survived the revolutionary and imperial periods, adapting its production to the new elite and to public commissions - in particular for the official buildings of the Republic and then the Empire. This ability to adapt set the great Parisian watchmaking houses apart from less established craftsmen, who disappeared with their protectors. What this figure reveals about the history of French watchmaking Lepaute de Bellefontaine illustrates an economic model specific to the Ancien Régime: the royal office as a lever for reputation and orders. This system, which paralleled that of guilds and jurands, structured the hierarchy of Parisian workshops until 1791, when the Le Chapelier law abolished guilds. For collectors and historians, a clock or watch signed "de Monsieur" or "du Roi" is a precise chronological and social marker: it situates the piece within an identifiable network of patronage, reinforcing its traceability and documentary value beyond its mere mechanical qualities. Lot presented by Ader Watches, Mr Geoffroy ADER
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Classic sale - Historical souvenirs
Auction location
Auction time 06/19/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like