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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Paris, London, France, United Kingdom

Gregson

Partially verified

Maker of catalogued dumb quarter repeating pocket watch, pocket watch, slim pocket watch

History

Jean-Pierre Gregson was an English-born watchmaker who established himself in Paris at Rue Dauphine in 1776.

He served as a Royal Court Watchmaker and gained recognition for adopting innovative bridge calibers designed by Lépine. In 1786, he participated in a prestigious commission to establish a royal manufactory alongside esteemed makers like Breguet and Berthoud. Following the onset of the French Revolution, he moved back to London in 1790 and founded a new workshop under the name Gregson London.

During his final years of operation until 1815, he occasionally collaborated with a colleague named Jefferson to produce watches signed Gregson & Jefferson.

The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Major innovations

  • Gregson was noted for early adoption of Lépine bridge calibers in his pocket watches.
  • He frequently utilized complex escapements including cylinder and comma escapements in his timepieces.

Known markings

  • Early watches were signed as Gregson à Paris, while later royal-commissioned pieces included the addition of Hger du Roy.
  • Following his move to London, he marked his pieces as Gregson London or, in partnership, Gregson & Jefferson, London.

Serial numbers

No serial-number system for this maker is recorded in the cited references.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

In the object catalogue

4 catalogued objects are recorded under Gregson. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

Diagram

count wheel or rackdetenthammer and gongwarning piece
Schematic: striking and sounding work. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. Gregson, Jean Pierre, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03
  2. Gregson, Jean Pierre, Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.