Julien LE ROY Lot n° 62

Double-sided watch in several colors of gold, striking with single date and central seconds Hinged case, glazed on both sides, finely decorated with foliage motifs, a basket of flowers with a hat on the case middle, a push button for the striking, warranty mark on the pressure pendant. Front dial, white enamel with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic for the minutes, stylized hands, minute track, signed "Julien Le Roy", engraved on the edge "Invented by Jul Le Roy in 1740 and the gear in 1755". Dial reverse, white enamel with Roman numerals, central hand for 60-second indication, stylized second hand for 31-day simple calendar indication, double minute track. Movement with key winding, cylinder escapement, spiral balance, notched barrel, signed on the edge "Invented by Jul Le Roy in 1740 and the gearing in 1755". Diam. 44.5 mm Gross weight. 91 gr Julien Le Roy, listed in Le Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, Tardy, p. 394, is considered one of the great watchmakers of the Age of Enlightenment. A former Director of the Société des Arts, he was appointed Master in 1713 and Guild Master in 1731. He wrote various dissertations on wheel pivots and watch balances, and in 1719 published a "Notice containing the true means of regulating both simple and repeating watches". All his pieces are of high quality, as witness this double-sided watch. The one here was clearly one of his last creations, as the edge of the movement is marked "Invented by Jul Le Roy in 1740 and the movement in 1755"- and Julien Le Roy died in Paris in 1759.