HISTORICAL WATCHES 18th century

HISTORICAL WATCHES 18th century
CARON - Paris
Pocket watch in 18k (750 thousandths) yellow gold. Mechanical movement, hand-wound by key (not present). Enamel dial, Roman numerals (small sparkle). Decorative and chiselling work on case and case back with garden and musical instrument decoration. Slight erasure of the chiselled decoration.
Good condition, minute hand missing. Accompanied by a pretty decorative chain. Not functional.
Dimensions: 44 x 20 mm.
Gross weight: 76.5 g.

CARON, FROM INVENTOR TO FIGARO'S WEDDING...
When Caron was born in 1732, he was only Pierre-Augustin, son of a master watchmaker from Meaux. At a very young age, he began an apprenticeship with his father and became an accomplished and innovative craftsman. He invented a new watchmaking mechanism known as the "double-point" mechanism, which guarantees greater precision in watches. This discovery was presented to the Court, and the King's watchmaker, Jean-André Lepaute, claimed authorship of it. Caron, at that time, was only 20 years old and he denounced this usurpation to the Academy of Sciences, which would prove him right! He then became a supplier to the royal family. And it all goes on and on...
By marrying in 1756, he acquired a solid fortune and a name one year later: de Beaumarchais. A genius of commerce, he acquired a reputation that would bring him into the close circle of the royal family. His second marriage and his new early widowhood make him accused of misappropriation of inheritance. His trouble with the law made him a resistance fighter against corruption and he published writings that made him popular. He was then employed by both Louis XV and Louis XVI as a spy, charged with negotiating the suppression of certain publications that ran counter to royal interests. Changing course, under cover of secrecy and with the support of Louis XVI, he became involved in the independence of the United States by becoming an arms supplier to the insurgents. In the meantime, he writes everything that happens in his life in a theatrical way with humour, but he is above all a satirical author. He published "Eugenie" in 1767, "The Barber of Seville" in 1775 and above all "The Marriage of Figaro" played in 1784 after having won over the royal censorship. He died in Paris in 1799.
Caron de Beaumarchais was a genius of his time, a free man and above all an inventor. The watch that we are offering you today bears witness to this life and inventiveness of the first part of the 18th century, when Man was part of the Age of Enlightenment! Automatically translated by DeepL. To see the original version, click here.