Carriage clock by Drocourt, Paris, c. 1880

Dealer description — Howard Walwyn

A rare and impressive late 19th-century giant gilt-brass hour-striking and repeating carriage clock with enamel painted silvered metallic panels and dial by these famous Parisian makers. The giant gorge case is richly engraved throughout with scrolling foliage and floral ornament. It has bevelled glass to the front, top and rear, with a large hinged carrying handle above and a repeat button to the top. The front and side silvered brass panels are finely painted with Oriental figures amongst flowering branches. The clock retains its original fitted Morocco leather travelling case. The dial is incorporated into the matching painted silvered metallic front panel and has Roman hour numerals with an outer minute track. Beneath there is a subsidiary alarm dial, which appears to be carried by two oriental figures with a painted bamboo branch. The clock is signed Drocourt, 28 Rue Debelleyme, Paris and is fitted with finely tapered blued steel hands. The movement is of 8-day duration and spring driven, fitted with its original compensated silvered platform lever escapement together with a separate alarm mechanism. It strikes the hours on a gong with passing strike at the half-hours via the push button to the top of the case. Date: circa 1880 Height : 7 in (18 cm) excl. handle Height: 8 ¾ (22 cm) incl. handle Width : 5 in (13 cm) Depth : 4 ¼ in (11 cm) * The Drocourt s are recorded in Charles Allix’s book Carriage Clocks: Their History and Development. Other more up to date research on the family has been carried out by Leigh Extence. Pierre Drocourt was born in 1819 and started working as a clockmaker in Paris in 1853. He was succeeded by his son Alfred, who was born in 1847, in 1872. The Drocourts won numerous international exhibition medals for their high quality clocks including Silver in Paris in 1878 and a Gold medal in 1889. HW6759