L. LEROY ET CIE Pocket watch in 18k (750) yellow gold No. 11038 Hinged round case, gold cuvette marked "L. Leroy & Cie Horlogers de la Marine 7 Bd de la Madeleine Paris No. 3874", the back with engraved initials (winding crown with bélière missing). White enamel dial with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes, iron minute track and off-centre second hand, signed. Mechanical movement with crown winding (a complete overhaul is required). D. 50 mm Gross weight: 85 g L. Leroy is a French luxury watchmaker founded in 1785 by Basile-Charles Le Roy in Paris. From the outset, the brand distinguished itself by the quality and precision of its watches, attracting a prestigious clientele including the French imperial family and other European courts. Over the generations, the company evolved under the management of Basile-Charles' descendants. In 1828, his son Charles-Louis joined the company, which then became "Le Roy & Fils". Later, in 1892, Louis Leroy, grandson of the founder, took over the management and renamed the company "L. Leroy & Cie", the period during which this watch must have been produced. Among the company's most notable achievements was the "Leroy 01" watch, presented at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition and considered to be the most complicated watch in the world at the time. It is now on display at the Palais Granvelle in Besançon. During the 20th century, L. Leroy continued to innovate, notably by installing the first system for transmitting radiotelegraphic time signals at the top of the Eiffel Tower in 1910. Provenance : - Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) - Then Admiral Philippe de Gaulle (1921-2024) - Then descendants