£2,200 - £2,500
A French Louis XV gold open face pocket watch, the enamel dial marked L’epine, a Paris, with hand painted portrait below a jewelled fleur-de-lys crown verso, in current working order with key on a yellow metal albert
This very high quality watch was probably gifted by King Louis XV as evidenced by the Fleur-de-lys crown decoration.
Several similar watches can be found in the collection of the Chateau de Versailles, although the combination of Fleur-de-lys decoration and portraiture appears to make this piece unique. We believe it dates from 1760s.
Jean-Antoine Lepine (1720-1814) was appointed clockmaker to the King in the mid 1760s having worked for his predecessor for some 20 years.
Examples rarely come to market, but a similar piece, albeit without the portrait, did come to market in Paris earlier this year.
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