L\'ART DE L\'HORLOGERIE EN FRANCE DE ...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Nov 14, 1993

LOT 205

Charpentier Oudin, Horlogers de la Marine, 52 Palais Royal à Paris, No. 18884, circa 1870. Fine and very important 18 ct. gold, eight day going, keyless, minute repeating, "grande and petite sonnerie" clock watch with chronometer escapement, made for Henri Charles Ferdinand, Comte de Chambord, in a silver gilt protecting case.

CHF 100,000 - 120,000

C. Four body, massive, "bassine et filets", the band chased with fleurs de lys, the back engineturned, the winding crown chased in form of the Royal crown. Gold cuvette. Silver gilt protecting case, the cover chased and pierced with the arms of France and entwined scrollwork, the interior engraved with the monogram "C". D. White enamel with Roman numerals and sunk subsidiary seconds. Blued steel "fleur de lys" hands. M. 21"', gilt brass double train, with gold wheels, 39 jewels, two barrels with differential winding, spring detent escapement, two-arm compensation bimetallic balance, free-sprung blued steel helical balance spring with terminal curves. Grande and petite sonnerie on two gongs with a further separate train for minute-repeating with slide in the band of the case, grande/petite, Silence/sonnerie slides on the border of the movement. Signed on the cuvette and movement. In very good condition. Diam. 59 mm.


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Notes

A chronometer escapement on a minute repeating "grande and petite sonnerie" clock-watch is a very unusual feature, event more so for a watch of long duration. According to the external Royal coat of arms on the outer case and of the winding crown in form of a Royal crown, this watch was certainly connnissioned in 1870 for the coronation of the Prince which never occurred (See the bibliography). COMTE DE CHAMBORD 1820-1883 Henri-Charles-Ferdinand-Marie-Dieudonné d'Artois, Duc de Bordeaux, Comte de Chambord, was born on 29 September 1820 in Paris. He was the son of the Duc de Berri, assassinated on 13 February 1820, and of Caroline, Princesse des Deux-Siciles, Duchesse de Berri. A national subscription gave him the château of Chambord in 1821. His grandfather Charles X abdicated in his favour on 2 August 1830, and a semblance was made of proclaiming him King as Henri V, but like all his family he was destined for exile and his reign lasted for only one week. In 1846 he married the eldest daughter of the Duke of Modena, Maria-Teresa-Béatrice-Gaétana, who brought him a dowvey of several millions but gave him no children. From 1848 to 1870 his activities were restricted to remaining in touch with his supporters. After the fall of the Empire in 1870, in three successive manifestos, he submitted his candidature to the throne, and declared that he would accept the collaboration and the control of the elected deputies of France. In 1873, thanks to the union of the Orléaniste and Legitimist parties, and the adhesion of the Comte de Paris, a delegation from the National Assembly waited on him in Salzburg. They returned to France with the news that he would accepta programme more or less in confomity with the principles of 1789, and that he would keep the tricolour flag. But then, in a celebrated letter addressed to Chesnelong, on 23 October, the Pretender declared that he intended to return to his kingdom unconditionally, and would not give up the white, fleur-de-lys flag. This put an end to all hope of restoring the monarchy. The Prince continued to act as the head of his party from his retreat at Frohsdorf in Austria. He died there on 24 August 1883 and was burried next to his grandfather Charles X at Goritz.