Collector's Pocket Watches, Wristwatc...

Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 12, 2003

LOT 446

Attributed to Robert, Neuchâtel, No. 1803, circa 1780.Lavish, rare and impressive eight day going, gilt bronze hour- and quarter-striking musical clock, playing every hour or on demand, with triple calendar, eight melodies, and a provision for automatic change every hour.

CHF 60,000 - 80,000

EUR 41,000 - 55,000 / USD 44,000 - 60,000

C. Supported by four square fluted columns with molded feet, each one terminated with applied ormolu flower garlands, large pedestal housing the musical movement with hinged door in front for access to the music control levers, decorated with applied ormolu musical trophies and laurel branches, cornice with repeated pattern, side panels with doors decorated with laurel branches, the right one for access to the winding mechanism, the left one for access to the pinned cylinder, supporting the goig train housing on molded base with applied scrolling, the top lavishly decorated with stylized foliage, scrolling, front with a globe among foliage, three vase finials supported by flower garlands and foliage. D. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute dot track with large five-minute Arabic markers, three sub-dials for days of the week, date and months with indication of number of days in every month, winding apertures, Gilt brass "fleur-de-lis" hands. M. Circular, 120 cm., brass, two goingbarrels, anchor escapement, brass pendulum on silk suspension, rack striking with single cam for hours and quarters, striking the hours on one bell and the quarters on two bells. Musical movemendriven by double reversed fusee, large brass pinned cylinder, 17 pewter pipes, rectangular bellows, worm-gear and fly regulator with adjustable wings, three levers in the front, the top one for manual music activation, the middle one for switching from automatic melody change to a single tune, the lowerne for switching from playing to silence. Dim. Height 74 cm., base width 65 cm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 14
Movement: 3*
Dial: 3 - 14 - 01

Notes

The clock movements, both the musical and the going train, are unmistakeable examples of Neuchâtel workmanship of the period. Furthermore, the way in which the wood is fitted between the pipes, the bellows, the placing of the fusees, suggest that it came from the Robert family workshop. At the time Robert and Jaquet Droz were the most important Swiss families making complicated and musical clocks such as this one. The differences between the two are often subtle, the most significant of them beng the placing of the fusees. Both Jaquet Droz and Robert used double concentric fusees for the musical movements, but Robert placed them one behind the other, as in this clock. Most of Robert's clocks are equipped with 8 tunes.The case is one of the most elaborate we have seen housing his movements. At the time, the French were the best in bronze casting. Jaquet Droz often housed his movements in French cases signed by Paris casters, and as this case proves, Robert did so as well. He ordered a special and very elaborate case from a French bronze artist and made musical as well as going train movements for it.