History

Century

Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec

1820-1830, work by Nicolas Rieussec

For a research about the first Rieussec Chronographs, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie is trying to locate this work, done between 1820 and 1830. Contact: info@hautehorlogerie.org

1781-1852

1817
Clockmaker to the King of France

1818
Clockmaker of the Royal Garde-Meuble

1821
Timing of a horse race on the Champ de Mars in Paris.

March 9th 1822
Following a favourable verdict from the Royal Academy of Science, the consultative committee for Arts and Engineering of the Ministry of the Interior granted Rieussec a five-year patent for a "timepiece or counter of distance covered" which its inventor named a "seconds chronograph."  Rieussec's device, which was accurate to one-fifth of a second, deposited a drop of ink, on demand, onto a rotating dial to mark the start and finish of an elapsed time.

Fatton, in association with Breguet, proposed an improved version of this inking chronograph in 1823.

1838
A ten-year patent entitled "improvements to chronographs" was awarded as a simplified version of the 1822 patent.

For research into the first Rieussec chronographs, the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie wishes to locate this piece, made between 1820 and 1830.

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