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Geneva, Mar 29, 2009

LOT 292

Perpetual Calendar Remontoir d'Egalité Lyre Clock Jean Hoff, Francfort. Made for the French market, circa 1790. Exceptionally fine and extremely rare and unusual, month going, center-seconds, single barrel, Dutch hour and half hourstriking, lyre-shaped table clock with pin-wheel escapement, perpetual calendar of circles tournant construction, 30-minute remontoir, day and night indication and rocking sun. To be sold without reserve

CHF 30,000 - 50,000

USD 26,000 - 43,000 / EUR 20,000 - 35,000

Sold: CHF 18,000

C. Lyre-shaped giltwood frame carved with leaves, rosette at the bottom, garlands and husks at the top, the whole on an oval gilt shaped base, the top surmounted by a sun rocking in action with the pendulum. D. White enamel annular ring with upright Roman numerals, gold outer minute ring with Arabic five-minute/seconds numerals. Gilt skeletonized hands with sunburst tips. Three white enamel concentric ?circles tournant? calendar rings for months with corresponding Zodiac signs, date and days of the week with corresponding planet symbols, day and night ball above driven by a rod and rack and pinion from the movement. M. Circular, 15.5 cm, skeletonized brass, large single barrel driving the striking and the remontoir, while also advancing the calendar, pin-wheel escapement, knifeedge suspension, brass pendulum with large ring bob working behind the dial, the top with pointer indicating the date, count wheel with double divisions, two bells, calendar driven via three concentric shafts with perpetual transmission controlled by fouruneven- slot wheel, striking the hours on a large bell and on the half-hour striking the hours on a small bell. Dial and movement signed. Dim. Height 50 cm, width 24 cm, depth 20 cm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-24

Good

Slightly chipped
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

A very special and unusual clock. The combination of a lyre clock with a perpetual calendar is rare, and the addition of remontoir and special striking makes this clock possibly unique. The striking is quite interesting - the hours are struck on a large bell, while on the half hours the hour is repeated, but on a small bell with a different pitch, thus showing not only that the half hour has passed, but also which one. Lyre clocks, typically French, were popular during the Louis XVI period. The present clock is particularly unusual, however.
Another spectacular lyre clock, but of different construction, was presented by Jean II Fol to the Académie des Sciences in 1788. This clock is based on French design but follows German horological tradition, possibly as requested by a French patron. It is very well-executed clock by a member of a well known German horological family. One of them, George Hoff, probably the brother of Jean, moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and became the only American horologist making musical clocks. His son continued the family tradition.