L. Leroy & Cie. silver keyless pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1890
This L. Leroy & Cie. keyless pocket watch, numbered 14859, dates to approximately 1890. It is housed in a four-body 'demi-bassine' silver case with a polished finish and includes an 'argent fin' hinged cuvette.
The white enamel dial features black Roman numerals, an outer minute ring, and a subsidiary seconds dial, paired with blued-steel Breguet hands. The watch is signed on the dial, case, and movement. The movement is a 21-line, gilded caliber featuring cross-line damascening decoration. Technical specifications include a straight-line lever escapement, a cut bimetallic compensation balance, and a blued-steel Breguet balance spring.
The movement is jeweled to the center, with additional ruby endstones on the balance and escape wheels, and features frosted winding wheels. Setting is accomplished via a pin-set mechanism. The case measures 59 mm in diameter.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- circa 1890
- Type
- Keyless pocket watch
- Maker
- L. Leroy & Cie.
- Diameter
- 59 mm
- Escapement
- straight-line lever
- Case Material
- silver
- Serial Number
- 14859
- Place recorded
- France
- Setting Mechanism
- pin-set
- Maker / attribution
- L. Leroy & Cie.
- Signature Locations
- Dial, case, and movement
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is constructed with a four-body 'demi-bassine' case made of 'argent fin' silver. The exterior of the case is polished, and the piece includes a hinged cuvette made of the same silver material. The dial is made of white enamel and displays a traditional arrangement of Roman numerals. The display includes an outer minute ring and a subsidiary sunk seconds dial. Blued-steel Breguet hands indicate the time on the dial, which is marked with the maker's signature and the serial number. The snap-on dial is integrated into the overall four-body design of the case.
- Visible features
- • Case features a polished 'demi-bassine' construction • Movement displays cross-line damascening decoration • Hands are blued-steel in the Breguet style • Setting mechanism is a pin-set type
- Movement and Escapement
- The movement is a 21-line gilded caliber identified by the cataloguer with a question mark. It features decorative cross-line damascening. The technical components include a straight-line lever escapement and a cut bimetallic compensation balance, designed to adjust for temperature variations. The timing is regulated by a blued-steel Breguet balance spring. The movement is jeweled to the center, incorporating ruby endstones specifically for the balance and escape wheels. The winding wheels have a frosted finish, and the watch uses a pin-set mechanism for time adjustment.
- Condition and Signatures
- The object is signed on the dial, the case, and the movement, identifying it as a product of L. Leroy & Cie. of Palais Royal, Paris. The auction house has provided condition grades for the watch's components, though these are presented as ranges, such as '3 - 5*' for the movement and '3 - 6 - 01' for the dial. The overall grading for the watch is designated as 'AA Very good' by the auction description. No further details regarding service history or specific mechanical defects are provided in the source material, leaving the exact state of the movement and dial partially unverified.
Identification
- Serial number
- 14859
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The exact line caliber is written as '21???' in the source, indicating ambiguity or illegibility.
- Research required: Condition grades for the case, movement, and dial are provided as ranges rather than definitive assessments.