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Watchmaker profile

Auguste Fénon

Auguste Fénon made marine and observatory chronometers after working under Winnerl; later directed the Besançon watchmaking school. 1

No sole invention or wristwatch-manufacture claim. Teaching and observatory work are historical.

At a glance

Place
France 1
Dates
1843–1913 111843–1913 explicitly reported by the heritage inventory; not independently checked against civil registers.

The watchmaking story

Useful places to start with Auguste Fénon's work include Marine chronometer No. 51 and observatory clocks. 1

Auguste Fénon worked for or held a role at Winnerl workshop. 1

Auguste Fénon workshop is the name recorded for Auguste Fénon's own watchmaking practice. 1

Sources connect Auguste Fénon with École d’horlogerie de Besançon, without establishing a formal role. 1

Scope: Direct watchmaking

Why this person is included

Documented attributable individual contribution

Background and working context

Affiliations and workshops: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon 1

Geographic ties: France. Documented workplace / project location; not a citizenship assertion

Brands, workshops, and other relationships

  1. Watchmaking workshop / practice · Inherited source-linked record; relationship classification reviewed, sources not reopened

    Winnerl workshop — Worked for / held role. Worked under historical Winnerl; not modern Winnerl company 1

    Legacy affiliation: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. Person-level contribution: Made marine and observatory chronometers after working under Winnerl; later directed the Besançon watchmaking school.

    Original affiliation wording: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. No present-day employment or ownership inferred.

  2. Watch brand / watchmaking business · Inherited source-linked record; relationship classification reviewed, sources not reopened

    Auguste Fénon workshop — Own watchmaking practice. Marine and observatory chronometers 1

    Legacy affiliation: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. Person-level contribution: Made marine and observatory chronometers after working under Winnerl; later directed the Besançon watchmaking school.

    Original affiliation wording: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. No present-day employment or ownership inferred.

  3. Institution / education / public service · Inherited source-linked record; relationship classification reviewed, sources not reopened

    École d’horlogerie de Besançon — Institutional association — role not established. Chronometer maker / watchmaking-school director 1

    Legacy affiliation: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. Person-level contribution: Made marine and observatory chronometers after working under Winnerl; later directed the Besançon watchmaking school.

    Original affiliation wording: Winnerl workshop; Auguste Fénon, Paris; École d’horlogerie de Besançon. No present-day employment or ownership inferred.

Evidence and limitations

This dossier connects 8 field-specific evidence records with 1 public source. Known links only; full career not established; unresolved relationship(s) remain

Claim qualifications (8)
  • Full name: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Noteworthy contribution: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Representative work: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Affiliations / workshops: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Specific role: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Birth year: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Death year: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1
  • Primary geography: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture. 1

Sources

  1. Instrument de mesure du temps (chronomètre de marine Fénon n°51)Françoise Le Guet Tully; Anthony Turner; Delphine Issenmann; Jean Davoigneau; Laurent Poupard · Ministère de la Culture — POP / Inventaire du patrimoine · Government heritage object record · Study 2008; created 2011-09-19; updated 2020-08-19

    [S0320] Françoise Le Guet Tully; Anthony Turner; Delphine Issenmann; Jean Davoigneau; Laurent Poupard. Ministère de la Culture — POP / Inventaire du patrimoine. "Instrument de mesure du temps (chronomètre de marine Fénon n°51)." Study 2008; created 2011-09-19; updated 2020-08-19. https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/palissy/IM25001856 Accessed 2026-09-13. Locator: IM25001856; Historique and maker inscription.

    Source context

    Relationship to subject: Public heritage inventory / object documentation

    How it was checked: Opened — relevant text inspected. IM25001856; Historique and maker inscription

    Limitation: Institutional object research, not civil certificates; marine and astronomical chronometry are distinct from wristwatch manufacture.

Corrections and stronger evidence

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