Important Wristwatches, Watches & Clocks

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 14, 1990

LOT 353

Anonymous, French. Circa 1890.

Extremely rare hour and single blow quarter-striking carriage clock with independently activated hour and five minute repeating and alarm fitted travelling case. Substantial brass case with partly scalloped mouldings and free-standing fluted spiral columns. Convex ivorine chapter and alarm ring with Art Nouveau style Arabic numerals. Frosted and gilt mask. Blued steel "double-flèches" hands. Rectangular brass movement with going barrels. Frosted and silvered lateral lever platform escapement with compensation balance. Strike train with 5 minute cam mounted on the back plate and single gong. In good condition. Dim. 16.5 x 10.2 x 9.5 cm excluding handle. This clock strikes the hours in the conventional manner, but also strikes a single blow to denote each quarter. Depressing the button on the top of the case sets off the hour repeating, and a further button mounted horizontally at the back of the case releases the racks for the 5 minute repeating. A similar movement, but without the single-blow quarter-striking is illustrated and described in C. Allix, R Bonnert, Carriage Clocks, Antique Collectors Club, 1974, page 198, plate VIII/7.