Fine and very rare large silver French Revolutionary decimal time dumb quarter repeater
antique pocket watch by Regnauld a Chaalons circa 1793.
White enamel dial (small cracks at 45) signed Ls. Feuillette with an inner ring of
Revolutionary 10 hour decimal time and an
outer double ring of 12 conventional hours. Half of the dial in red indicating daylight hours
and the other half in black for nighttime hours. Also indications for 60 and 100 minutes.
Two hour hands, one blue and one gold.
Plain polish case with spring hinged front cover and plunger pendant to activate the
repeater. Gilt verge and fusee movement with large pierced and engraved balance cock
and dust ring covering the edge of the movement.
When activated this watch taps the conventional hours and quarters on the dust ring.
Apparently this watch was made prior to the revolution and modernized to include
Revolutionary time sometime after October of 1793.
After the French Revolution, the French Revolutionary Calendar (or Republican Calendar)
was officially adopted on October 24, 1793. The 24-hour day was divided
into ten hours, each having 100 minutes, and each minute having 100 seconds. Like
the Metric system, the new calendar was one of the many reforms undertaken by
the National Convention. The traditional way of telling time was so deeply ingrained
in the minds of the people that the new timekeeping system was impossible to
enforce. It was quickly suspended on April 17, 1795.
Since this decimal system was in use for less than 18 months, relatively few
decimal timepieces were ever produced, and many were lost which is
why they are so rare.