Device for opening and closing an article , in particular a leather article, comprising a lock housing and a key (8; 108) that is configured to engage with said lock housing , which housing is provided with a mechanism having a locked configuration in which said article can be closed and an unlocked configuration in which said article can be opened, said device being configured to move said mechanism from its locked configuration to its unlocked configuration, and inversely, only by translational movements of said key (8; 108) in said lock housing ; said mechanism comprising: - a latch bolt that is movably mounted in said lock housing and is configured to allow said article to close in said locked configuration of said mechanism and to allow said article to open in said unlocked configuration of said mechanism; - a locking member that is movably mounted in said lock housing and is configured to secure in a predetermined position said latch bolt in said locked configuration of said mechanism and to allow displacement of said latch bolt in said unlocked configuration of said mechanism; and - a control system (30; 130) that is mounted in said lock housing and is configured to engage with said key (8; 108), said system (30; 130) being provided with a movable part (37; 137) and with a stationary part (38; 160) that is configured to secure said movable part when said key is remote from said system, said movable part (37; 137) being configured to be moved by said key during at least part of its translation in said lock housing and to move said locking member towards a first position in which said member leaves said latch bolt free, said mechanism then being in its unlocked configuration, and/or towards a second position in which said member secures said latch bolt , said mechanism then being in its locked configuration; said locking member is configured to be rotatably moved on itself and said movable part (37; 137) of said control system is configured to be translated in said lock housing and comprises a lug (83; 183) for rotating said locking member ; said mechanism further comprises a stop support fixedly mounted in said lock housing and said locking member is rotationally mounted on said stop support ; characterized in that said locking member comprises a base having at least three sides , said mechanism comprises a system for retaining said locking member , which system is mounted on said stop support and which is further configured to act on at least one of said sides of said locking member in order to retain said locking member in either of its first position and its second position when not being moved by said movable part . - a latch bolt that is movably mounted in said lock housing and is configured to allow said article to close in said locked configuration of said mechanism and to allow said article to open in said unlocked configuration of said mechanism; - a locking member that is movably mounted in said lock housing and is configured to secure in a predetermined position said latch bolt in said locked configuration of said mechanism and to allow displacement of said latch bolt in said unlocked configuration of said mechanism; and - a control system (30; 130) that is mounted in said lock housing and is configured to engage with said key (8; 108), said system (30; 130) being provided with a movable part (37; 137) and with a stationary part (38; 160) that is configured to secure said movable part when said key is remote from said system, said movable part (37; 137) being configured to be moved by said key during at least part of its translation in said lock housing and to move said locking member towards a first position in which said member leaves said latch bolt free, said mechanism then being in its unlocked configuration, and/or towards a second position in which said member secures said latch bolt , said mechanism then being in its locked configuration; <EOS>