James Stratton
Director
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Lot 64
A late 17th century and later quarter striking architectural turntable clock
8 July 2015, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£12,000 - £18,000
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A late 17th century and later quarter striking architectural turntable clock
The custom made architectural case with pad topped triangular pediment over a plain frieze, rectangular glazed side panels, moulded base and chamfered turntable raised on four ebonised ball feet, the later 7 inch Roman and Arabic brass dial with silvered chapter ring, finely fettled blued steel hands, matted centre and applied cherub mask spandrels, the rear winding three train fusee and pinned spring barrel movement with split front plates united by fourteen slender baluster pillars with well defined fins, the going train with a short, broad fusee cone powered from the right hand barrel, the quarters and hours each run from the upper spring barrels, the hours with a countwheel fixed to the front plate, striking on a single bell and the quarters countwheel mounted to the backplate, striking on two bells, the re-instated verge escapement with raised backcock, the crown wheel fitted with a conformingly long arbor. 38cm (15in)
Footnotes
The identity of the maker of this apparently unique movement is unknown. It features characteristics of the Knibb workshop such as the generally light construction and the slender baluster pillars, but equally it has features in common with that of Edward East and Henry Jones, such as the use of a short, broad fusee cone and narrow gap between the plates.
The steel work is particularly idiosyncratic, using leaf springs attached to the front plates via 'L' shaped brackets. The head of each spring terminates in a knife-edge engaging with a block fitted in the bell hammer arbor.
There are also continental influences in the general use of spring barrels for the strike trains and a fusee for the going train.