DECKWATCH E. Delépine 1634 Marina de Chile Circa 1885 France

M&R160

DECKWATCH
Marked: E. Delépine 1634 Marina de Chile
Circa 1885
France

Movement
The spring-driven movement is constructed between plates and has a going train only, which has a chain fusee, chronometer escapement and a compensation balance. It is wound from the rear, the winding hole being covered by a shutter.

Dial
The silvered dial has a chapter ring with black Roman hour numerals, five-minute and minute divisions. Near the XII is an up and down dial (0-40) in the centre of the dial to indicate the power reserve, as well as a seconds ring above the VI. The dial is signed and numbered in the middle as follows: E DELÉPINE No. 1634. The phrase MARINA DE CHILE is engraved above the power reserve. The time is indicated by two gold hands. The hand for the up and down dial is also made of gold. The seconds ring has Arabic numerals for every ten minutes, the seconds being indicated by a blued steel hand. The dial is protected by glass that is set in a screw-on brass ring.

Case
The brass movement case is housed in a three tier mahogany box: the lid, the intermediate part in which the movement is mounted and the bottom, where the rear of the movement can be accessed to wind the movement. A bone plaque with the name of the maker and the number of the chronometer 1634 E. DELÉPINE is attached to the front of the lid. The two lower tiers have brass buttons with which the box can be opened.

Duration: 40 hours

Movement diameter 8 cm.
Dimensions box 7 x 10 x 12 cm.

Literature: T. Mercer, Chronometer Makers of the World, p. 127

The maker
Emile Delépine worked in St. Nicholas d’Aliermont, near Dieppe, France around 1880. He was the successor of O. Dumas and was a well-known chronometer maker. He won several prizes for his chronometers: the Grand Prix in Paris in 1910 and at the competitions for the French National Navy where he won 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th prizes for various chronometers. St. Nicholas had about 2,000 inhabitants at the time, of which 700 to 800 were watchmakers, including women. Most products were intended for the French and English markets. All chronometers that went to the Navy were tested for two years, and if a chronometer did not comply, it was not paid for.