brag Leroy' production date, value and using materials in manufacturing

[ziyaerdem]

Hello

I have a Leroy pocket watch.
I am wondering its production year, value and using materials in ita manufacturing.
Thanks

 

[gmorse]

Hi ziyaerdem, and welcome to the forum,

I have a Leroy pocket watch.
I am wondering its production year, value and using materials in ita manufacturing.

Julien Le Roy was an eminent 18th century French watch and clock maker who died in 1759, so if this is by him, it dates to some time before this.

As you probably know, it's a repeater, striking the hours and quarters on the bell inside the inner case. Although we can't see the inside of the inner case, (the bell is in the way), it appears to be gold, but could be gilt brass, as the middle case seems to be; the outer case is velvet-lined leather, a common combination in many watches intended for the Ottoman market.

The movement has a gilt brass cap which can safely be removed by sliding the steel crescent shaped piece clockwise, when it can be lifted off, showing the movement. It is a verge and fusee and is probably also gilt on a brass foundation. The dial is enamelled on a copper or gold plate and the markings are fired in with the enamel, which is a variety of glass fused on with heat.

The middle case is pierced with holes to allow the sound of the bell to be heard more clearly, and is covered with what may be tortoiseshell, (actually from a turtle, or even possibly horn stained to look like tortoiseshell), held on by decorated rivets. The inner case is very decorative, with coloured enamels and applied half-pearls, and seems to be in excellent condition. Enamel decoration like this is quite fragile and is often found with chips or cracks, but yours appears to be intact.

You have a handsome watch signed for a distinguished maker. The best way to find a value is to look at the major auction sites for other watches by this man, whose son, Pierre was also a very fine watchmaker.

Regards,

Graham

 

[aucaj]

You have a beautiful and valuable repeater watch. The dial indicates that your watch was made for the Ottoman market.

However, you should know that there are two Julien Le Roys that operated at different times. The more famous Julien died in 1759. I believe your watch is by the second who became an agent of Breguet in Constantinople.

Watches Made for Ottoman Market Draw Big Interest (Published 2012)

The competition for these antique pieces is a reflection of the rising purchasing power of Turkish buyers.

www.nytimes.com

From the New York Times article link above:

"...during the golden era of watch production in France, the French watchmakers Julien Le Roy and Jean-Baptiste-André Furet, as well as the British watchmaker Daniel de St. Leu, became important makers for that market, Mr. Ader added. Mr. Le Roy moved from Paris to Constantinople around 1810 to become Breguet's agent in the Ottoman Empire. He also imported watches made by other Swiss manufacturers and sold to dignitaries in Turkey."

v/r,
Chris

 

[John Matthews]

Photographs of Breguet N°1090 Grande Complication here.

John

 

[Incroyable]

Is the company Leroy et Fils a direct descendant of the earlier Leroys?

 

[zedric]

No, it doesn't appear to be. Both of the Leroy companies that merged in the 20th century sold carriage clocks, and in Allix and Bonnert's book on Carriage Clocks they go into the history of both companies

 

[Incroyable]

No, it doesn't appear to be. Both of the Leroy companies that merged in the 20th century sold carriage clocks, and in Allix and Bonnert's book on Carriage Clocks they go into the history of both companies

I've seen pocket watches and wristwatches with the same Blvd de Madeline address as the carriage clock Leroy.

LE ROY - World of Time - New and pre-owned exclusive watches with best conditions. Call us or visit our local shop to get personal consulting.

LE ROY in Pocket Watches at Worldoftime: : beautiful gents pocket watch. very high quality swiss movement, signed Leroy 18ct, engraving on the back "FL". Buy LE ROY Year 1920. If you want to sell your watch, we will be happy to advise you.

www.worldoftime.de

 

[zedric]

According to Allix, the two Leroy companies that eventually merged were formed by 1) Basil Charles Leroy (established in 60 Gallérie de Pierre, Palais Royale just after 1785 - during the Revolution his watches were signed Elyor) and 2) by Theodore Leroy, who was at Galerie Valois, Palais Royale. From 1839 Theodore Leroy used the trading name Leroy et Fils. Both firms made carriage clocks, watches and clocks.

Neither firm has anything to do with the watch that started this thread!

 

[rstl99]

Is the company Leroy et Fils a direct descendant of the earlier Leroys?

There were many family branches of "Le Roy" horlogers (watchmakers-clockmakers) around Paris from the middle of the sixteenth century. The more famous one in the eighteenth was certainly Julien Le Roy, who I maintain was almost the equivalent of what Tompion was to English makers. He died in 1759 as Graham correctly indicated. He was blessed with four sons, the eldest Pierre followed in his footsteps into the family profession, the other three had remarkable careers in different fields.

I just presented a talk about "Julien and his four sons" to our local NAWCC chapter, and can post a link to the PDF for those interested, once it's up on their site. Only one of Julien's four sons had a son, but he died aged 7, so the end of that male family line (and name) ended with the death of the oldest remaining son (historian and architect Julien David) in 1803. Julien's brother Pierre-François was the only other horloger in their immediate family but he had three daughters, and although they all married horlogers, there is no continuation of the male family line there either.

So any watch or clock signed "Le Roy" or "Leroy" that came after Julien, his brother, and his son Pierre, is either a fake, or from an entirely different branch of the family tree, and it's difficult to say how close or how far to Julien's branch they might be. There were several later Le Roy's who were fine parisian watch/clockmakers, but have no direct family connection to the Julien Le Roy I have discussed here.

By the way, Julien (and his son Pierre who took over the shop after his father died) always signed his watches "Julien Le Roy" (in full, and in a consistent cursive script), and they were all numbered. Beware of imitations (which flooded in from Geneva and elsewhere at the time) that tried to pass off as a Julien Le Roy watch, without the signature I described, nor the serial number. I see many at auctions passing off to be from Julien, but are clearly not.

Hope this bit of historical information helps.

Robert