Exceptional Horological Sale Celebrat...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Apr 24, 2004

LOT 468

Robert & Courvoisier, no 6983, circa 1780. Very fine and very rare marble and gilt bronze hour and quarter-hour striking, quarter repeating eight tune musical clock playing on the hour or on demand, with automatic tune changing.

CHF 70,000 - 90,000

EUR 44,000 - 57,000 / USD 55,000 - 70,000

Sold: CHF 91,500

C. Clock suspended between two elaborate marble and gilt brass columns terminating with flame finials, whitemarble base, vase-shaped top with gilt brass flame finial, whole on rectangular white marble box housingmusical movement with four white marble columns decorated with ormolu appliqués, hinged front and backdoor, square shaped ormolu feet, the top with tortoiseshell and brass mosaic, ormolu foliate finials, music/silencelever on the left of the housing.D. White enamel, Breguet numerals, outer star minute divisions on blueenamel ring with fifteen-minute Arabic markers, winding apertures in the center. Gilt brass pierced hands.M. Circular, brass, going barrels on all three trains, anchor escapement, brass pendulum with knife-edge sus-pension,striking and repeating work on the back plate, striking on two bells. Musical movement: rectangular,double fusee and chains, 21 pewter pipes, wooden pinned cylinder with diameter of 130 mm, fly governor withadjustable wings, double wooden bellows and reservoir.Signed on the dial.Dim: Height 100 cm, width 74 cm


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-12-29-01

Good

Worn

Lacking elements

HANDS Original

Notes

The present clock is featured on the front cover of May 1978 Chronometrophilia. Both the musical and going train of the present clock are characteristic of Neuchâtel workmanship of the period, which was famous throughout Europe. 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 signifi-cant of them being the placing of the fusees. Both Jaquet Droz and Robert used double fusees for the musical move-ments, but Robert placed them one behind the other, as in this clock. Most of Robert's clocks are equipped with 8 tunes, as this one.