The movement of this watch was certainly originally made for a special purpose; its shape and the fact that the back plate is skeletonised suggest that it was made to be seen, on the lid of a casket for instance. Glaesner worked in Lyon (France) where his workshop was Place du Theatre. Several very fine clocks bearing his signature are known to exist. He failed in an attempt with Prudhomme in 1783, to establish in Lyon a factory of blank watch movements. During the siege of Lyon, he was jailed for his political opinions and his workshop was looted. When he made a new attempt to work again, the Gomite de Salut Public sent him to Paris in a reformatory workshop. In 1795, he produced a report which supported the recruitment of 20'000 women for the production of watch ehauches. He was introduced to Lemaire who appointed him in 1796 as Director of his manufacture. He went mad in 1799 and died in 1800.