Louis Waltrin

Louis Waltrin is the son of clockmaker Joseph Waltrin (circa 1720-1789), Louis-René Waltrin probably learned the art of clockmaking in his father’s workshop in the rue Saint-Antoine. He acquired his “lettres de maîtrise” as a master’s son on September 24, 1771. He quickly gained renown among the important Parisian collectors of the day, taking over his father’s business in the mid 1780’s. Several probate inventories of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries mention his work, particularly that of the wife of Jean-Baptiste-Hubert Lemarcis, and that of Antoine-François Boula de Montgodefroy, senior member of Parliament. After 1815, and the Bourbon Restoration, Louis-René Waltrin continued his brilliant career, being named Clockmaker to the Duke of Bordeaux.