Carriage clock by Drocourt, Paris, c. 1870–1880

Dealer description — Howard Walwyn

A very good late 19th century gilt brass grande sonnerie carriage clock of eight-day duration, with hour and quarter strike on a gong. It also has an alarm mechanism and a push repeat button at the top. The elegant case is of gorge form, with a shaped folding handle above a bevelled top glass, and with glazed side panels and rear door. The top, base and uprights are richly engraved with scrolling foliate ornament, and there is a strike/silent and sonnerie lever to the underside. The clock also retains its original bespoke Morocco leather travelling case. The circular white enamel dial has Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track with Arabic five-minute markers, and blued steel Breguet hands. Below VI there is a subsidiary alarm-setting dial which is also framed by an engraved gilt brass mask. The eight-day movement has grande sonnerie work, with hour and quarter striking, push repeat and alarm . It is numbered 12064 on the backplate with the same number repeated to the case and double-ended winding key. The alarm, hours and quarters are sounded on a coiled gong mounted on the backplate. Drocourt’s symbol is also stamped (DC) on the backplate. Height : 6 ¾ in (17 cm), handle up * 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. This clock represents a particularly fine example of their work, in stunning original condition.