ANONYME

Double-sided silver watch with Gregorian and Republican calendar display Silver hinged case, fluted middle, open on double-sided glass, warranty mark on the pendant. Front dial, white enamel with Arabic numerals and stylized hands, beaded minute track, Gregorian calendar with advance / delay indication, auxiliary dials for the indication of the days of the week, date, month. Back dial, white enamel with single hand for the decimal hours, pearled minute scale 100 minutes, auxiliary dials for the 30-day calendar, days of the week and months of the revolutionary calendar, triple indication "DECADI 1, 2 and 3". Movement with key winding, verge escapement, spiral balance, fusee and chain, hole for key winding on the front dial. (Cracks and missing) Diam. 53 mm Gross weight. 108.6 gr The two watches of lots 65 & 66 are some of the very few pieces made during the French Revolution that adopted the new “Republican” calendar system. The calendar was introduced with Year I in 1792; the following year started with Year II on 22 September 1793. This new calendar system, devised in reaction to the one established by Pope Gregory XIII on 15 October 1582, began on 21 September and ended on 22 September the following year. The year was divided into 12 months, each with 30 equal days. Each month was divided into three equal parts of 10 days: the first, second and third decades. The names of the days were Primi, Duodi, Tridi, Quatardi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonindi and Decadi. The names of the months were determined by the course of the seasons, with Autumn (Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire), Winter (Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse), Spring (Germinal, Floréal, Prairial) and Summer (Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor). These two revolutionary watches use the Republican calendar officially employed in France until 1806. After that it ceased to exist, but is remembered as an interlude in the history of time at the end of the Age of Enlightenment.