A very rare early 19th century Swiss Carriage clock with special night/day striking and calendar, in the original travelling caseAuguste Courvoisier, La Chaux-de-Fonds The brass Rococo case with floral handle held in cactus pommels above a repeat button and a wide inspection window with thickly glazed front door, back door, and side panels above an elegantly moulded base with curled leaf feet. The dial plate with allover engine turned hobnail pattern framing the large signed white enamel dial with Turkish numerals and blued steel Breguet hands, above the subsidiary enamel dials for date and alarm with blued steel hands and three winding squares. The three train spring barrel signed movement with a Swiss lever escapement and typical Swiss rack striking with two bells and two hammers, planted on the backplate. Ticking, striking and repeating. Together with separate winding and setting keys and original travel case. 20.5cms (8 ins) highFootnotesThe calendar dial only has 30 diversions as this clock was made for the Turkish market: Islamic calendars follow the lunar, rather then the solar, cycle which is approximately 29.5 days. Islamic months alternate with 29 or 30 days, therefore, a clock made for such a market would not need a dial with 31 divisions. Philippe-Auguste Courvoisier (1803-1873) was the youngest brother of the 'Courvoisier Freres' partnership, which lasted from 1845-1882, and continued the horological tradition established by 'Courviosier et Cie' in 1811. After 'Courvoisier Freres', 'Courvoisier et fils' was formed, which continued for an as yet undetermined amount of time. The above clock is typical of early Swiss carriage clocks; the striking work being on full display at the back, even down to the bells being inverted. The method of striking is also very usual for early Swiss carriage clocks; with petite sonnerie striking during the day, and grande sonnerie striking at night and on the repeater. This style of clock would eventually be replaced by the standardised French carriage clock around 1850. In Carriage Clocks Their History and Development, Allix and Bonnert illustrate a carriage clock made by Auguste Courvoisier for the Turkish Market on pg. 314. This clock is similar to the current lot and is numbered 2119 which is dated to between 1832 and 1845; it seems reasonable to ascribe similar dates to this clock. Plate X/9 of the same book illustrates an analogous escapement, though the escapement in the book was made by Auguste's older brother Frederic-Alexandre Courvoisier. A very similar carriage clock by Auguste Courvoisier is pictured in A Century of Fine Carriage Clocks by Joseph Fanelli, pg. 194. Another similar clock by Frederic Courvoisier was offered for sale by Bonhams New York in October 2019.
A very rare early 19th century Swiss Carriage clock with special night/day striking and calendar, in the original travelling caseAuguste Courvoisier, La Chaux-de-Fonds The brass Rococo case with floral handle held in cactus pommels above a repeat button and a wide inspection window with thickly glazed front door, back door, and side panels above an elegantly moulded base with curled leaf feet. The dial plate with allover engine turned hobnail pattern framing the large signed white enamel dial with Turkish numerals and blued steel Breguet hands, above the subsidiary enamel dials for date and alarm with blued steel hands and three winding squares. The three train spring barrel signed movement with a Swiss lever escapement and typical Swiss rack striking with two bells and two hammers, planted on the backplate. Ticking, striking and repeating. Together with separate winding and setting keys and original travel case. 20.5cms (8 ins) highFootnotesThe calendar dial only has 30 diversions as this clock was made for the Turkish market: Islamic calendars follow the lunar, rather then the solar, cycle which is approximately 29.5 days. Islamic months alternate with 29 or 30 days, therefore, a clock made for such a market would not need a dial with 31 divisions. Philippe-Auguste Courvoisier (1803-1873) was the youngest brother of the 'Courvoisier Freres' partnership, which lasted from 1845-1882, and continued the horological tradition established by 'Courviosier et Cie' in 1811. After 'Courvoisier Freres', 'Courvoisier et fils' was formed, which continued for an as yet undetermined amount of time. The above clock is typical of early Swiss carriage clocks; the striking work being on full display at the back, even down to the bells being inverted. The method of striking is also very usual for early Swiss carriage clocks; with petite sonnerie striking during the day, and grande sonnerie striking at night and on the repeater. This style of clock would eventually be replaced by the standardised French carriage clock around 1850. In Carriage Clocks Their History and Development, Allix and Bonnert illustrate a carriage clock made by Auguste Courvoisier for the Turkish Market on pg. 314. This clock is similar to the current lot and is numbered 2119 which is dated to between 1832 and 1845; it seems reasonable to ascribe similar dates to this clock. Plate X/9 of the same book illustrates an analogous escapement, though the escapement in the book was made by Auguste's older brother Frederic-Alexandre Courvoisier. A very similar carriage clock by Auguste Courvoisier is pictured in A Century of Fine Carriage Clocks by Joseph Fanelli, pg. 194. Another similar clock by Frederic Courvoisier was offered for sale by Bonhams New York in October 2019.
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert