Thematic Auction in Geneva:The Evolut...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Nov 16, 2002

LOT 3

Hans Koch, Munich, sundial attributed to Marcus Purman of Munich, dated 1592.Highly important and exceptionally fine gilt bronze pre balance spring, single-hand hour-striking clockwatch with alarm, sundial, compass, stackfreed, foliot and hog's bristle regulator with rack and pinion micrometric adjustment.

C. Tambour-shaped, hinged top and fixed bottom, the front pierced with 12 heart-shaped openings for the hours, floral engraving in the center, border engraved with floral and foliate pattern, small disc in the center engraved with a rosette holding compass on the other side, which has a sundial in the center with a spring-loaded hinged gnomon and Arabic scale, pierced band and bottom cover, the band with hunting scene, hounds chasing boars, the back with a horseman in the center, flowers and folage around, border same as the front, small ring pendant.D. Gilt metal, hinged to the case, outer radial Roman 12-hour chapter ring, engraved inner quarter-hour divisions and innermost chapter with 24-hour (13 to Z4) Arabic division with German "Z" for numeral "2", twelve touch pins in the outermost ring, pinhole for setting the striking, the center revolving alarm disc with Arabic numerals in German style, center engraved with wind rose and sun-ray motif. Single blued steel hand. M. 54 mm., iron, mounted to the dial by bayonet fixing, full plate, fourectangular pillars, C-shaped stackfreed and going barrel, verge escapement with foliot and hog's bristle mounted on a pivoted, adjustable (rack and pinion) lever, steel train, four-wheel train, small iron S-shaped cock secured by a screw, five-wheel iron striking train driven from a fixed barrel, the last pinion with a fly in a form of a round-shaped brass weight, count wheel on the back plate driven by four pins mounted on the end of the first striking wheel, all wheels in small countersinks,striking on a bell of rectangular cross-section mounted with a screw to the bottom of the case, strikes with a single hammer lifted by pins of the second wheel of the striking train, alarm driven from fixed barrel with steel train and single hammer ringing the same bell.Maker's mark "HK" punched in the back plate, along with Munich city mark, sundial incused "MP" and engraved with date.Diam. 72 mm., height 29 mm.