Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

Noga Hilton, Geneva, Jun 14, 2003

LOT 78

Systeme de Copernic Charles Dutertre à Paris, Sèvres porcelain dated 1768. Very fine and extremely rare gilt bronze and painted on porcelain hour and half-hour striking eight day-going vase clock with revolving disc dials.

CHF 40,000 - 60,000

EUR 27,000 - 40,000 / USD 31,000 - 46,000

C. Gilt bronze square pedestal with canted corners, the base supported by feet molded with acanthus leaves, hinged panels very finely painted on porcelain, the front one depicting a cherub sitting on a cloud with a heavenly globe, holding a book titled "Systeme de Copernic", right panel painted with bouquet of flowers, left with fruits, top with imperial blue porcelain vase decorated with ormolu garlands of roses and acanthus leaves, ormolu handles formed as garland of roses, imperial blue enaml dome with ormolu foliate decoration with small finial.D. Two gilt brass rings mounted at the top of the vase, enamel cartouches with Roman numerals for hours and Arabic for minutes, arrowhead pointer. M. Circular brass, cylindrical pillars, going barrels, verge escapement, short pendulum with brass bob, silk suspension, count wheel on the back plate, setting through a lever protruding in the front of the pillar plate behind the front panel.Signed on the movement, panels signed with Sèvres porcelain mark and their year code of 1768.Dim. Height 48 cm., base width 17 cm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3 - 51
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Revolving disc vase clocks appeared during the reign of Louis XV. They were particularly appreciated for their elegance and their decorative qualities, and were often beautifully chased and embellished with finely painted porcelain plaques from the famous Manufacture Royale de Sèvres. The Dutertres were well known for working with porcelain. Charles' brother, Jean-Baptiste II was particularly famous in his time for his clocks decorated with human and animal figures in Meissen porcelain. icolas-Charles Dutertre Paris 1715 - Paris 1793 Came from a well-established Parisian clockmaking family. His father was eminent watch and clockmaker who in 1724 presented to the Academy and equation watch, and four years later a double pendulum clock. icolas-Charles received his training under his very able father and by 1739 had been received into the Guild. He became a very well known and very active clockmaker. Among his clients were M. Taupin de Magnytot, the Duc de Luxemburg and the Duc de Penthièvre. Literature: "Les Ouvriers du Temps", Jean-Dominique Augarde, Editions Antiquorum, Geneva, 1996.