Descendant of a family of watchmakers, who have been practicing this art since 1740, I herewith offer you - throughout various posts -, to discover my ancestors and their creations.
They contributed to the writing of the history of mechanical horological instruments, and later on of electrical horology. Watchmakers officially appointed by kings and emperors, astronomer, navigator, explorer, builder of lighthouse optical devices and train station clocks, the Lepaute family leveraged from and contributed to the technical and scientific innovations of their era, from the period of Louis XV until the emergence of quartz watches.
The clock of Thonne-la-Long, cradle of the Lepaute family
Jean-André Lepaute is the first watchmaker in the Lepaute family. Born in 1720 in Thonne-la-Long, he left his small village at a very young age to do his apprenticeship in Paris. In 1755 he became a Master Watchmaker, with the position of Watchmaker to the King, and his business flourished.
Lepaute or Henry-Lepaute ?
The Lepaute family has more than 15 watchmakers over 6 generations. Many of them are called “Jean-something”, or have nicknames... It's not always easy to find your way around, to understand “who is who”, and who did what. What's more, the name itself doesn't seem quite set: Lepaute or Henry-Lepaute? Even on the labels of the Louvre, one can read a widespread error: first name Henry, last name Lepaute. However, this person simply never existed.