Nicole Nielsen & Co Ltd. Soho Square, London, unnumbered, second-half 19th Century. Rare, oxydized brass-cased eight day going carriage clock striking hours and halves on a gong and repeating hours, lever escapement. Two "upanddown" dials manually-set weekly calendar thermometer. | Important Collectors Wristwatches Pocket Watches & Clocks | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 21st October 1995

Important Collectors Wristwatches Po...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 21, 1995

LOT 228

Nicole Nielsen & Co Ltd. Soho Square, London, unnumbered, second-half 19th Century. Rare, oxydized brass-cased eight day going carriage clock striking hours and halves on a gong and repeating hours, lever escapement. Two "upanddown" dials manually-set weekly calendar thermometer.

CHF 38,000 - 42,000

C. "Black" brass, glazed four sides and top. D. Silvered, up-and-down scales showing state-ofwind of both trains. Roman chapters, blued steel " moon" hands. M. Brass rectangular, platform lever escapement, single roller, pointed-tooth wheel, cut bimetallic balance, balance spring with double outer terminal curve, ruby endstone to balance cock. Signed on dial. In very good condition. Dim. 15 x 10.5 x 8 cm. exciuding handle.

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Note: A man's dock, ordered for Study, Gun Room or Smoking Room, and of the best possible quality from a very top maker. Potentially an extremely good timekeeper. NICOLE & CAPT, NICOLE NIELSEN & Co. Perhaps the leading manufacturers of complicated watches in Tate 19th century London, Nicole Nielsen made watches and carriage clocks both for leading makers such as Frodsham but also marketed under ttheir own naine. The firm originated in 1840 when Adolphe Nicole, a partner in the firm of Nicole & Capt, Geneva, decided to settle in London where he ran a branch of the firm at 80b Dean Street. In 1844 he took out patent no 10348 for keyless winding and a form of chronograph. From 1858 the firm was at 14 Soho Square where it remained for the next 75 years. In 1862 Nicole patented his chronograph stop system which incorporated a flyback mechanism and in 1876 the place of the recently deceased Jules Capt was taken by Sophus Emil Nielsen, who in 1884 patented an "up and down" mechanism. In 1888 the firm was purchased by R.B. North, Nielsen being retained as joint managing director with Harrison Mill Frodsham. In 1888 the firm became Nicole Nielsen & Co. In 1903 North obtained a patent for 'revolving escapements' and soon afterwards the firm produced a short series of grande sonnerie carriage clocks fitted with tourbillon escapements. From 1904 onwards the firm began to manufacture speedometers at first selling the output to S. Smith & Co, later to Frodsham. In 1917 the naine of the firm was changed to North & Sons Ltd, continuing in business until 1933. Literature: Vaudrey Mercer, The Frodshams, the Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers, London, 1981, pp 198-204.