Lepaute Clocks

Q:         An uncle in Ireland gave us an old clock. The inscription on the face of the clock is “Lepaute, Hger Du Roi.” It has Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. Do you have any idea how old the clock is and what it might be worth?

A :        The Lepautes were master clockmakers in the 18th century. Jean-Andre Lepaute (1720-1789) began making clocks in Paris in about 1740. He specialized in large clocks for public installations and invented several improvements to clocks. He was a “Horloger du Roi,” a clockmaker to the king, by 1751. His brother, Jean-Baptiste (1727-1802), joined him in business in 1759 and became head after Jean-Andre retired in 1774. After Jean-Baptiste died, his nephews ran the business for several years. Some clocks by Lepaute sell for several thousand dollars. Your clock would need to be seen by an expert to determine its value. A very famous 1765 mantel clock has auctioned for $111,462.