
Clocks · Frame clock with a watch movement
Clock with View of Lake Geneva, c. 1890
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- c. 1890
- Historical period
- Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Frame clock with a watch movement
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 6300
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 6300)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Clock with View of Lake Geneva (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 6300), this is a frame clock with a watch movement, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1890. The Atlas places it in the Industrial Revolution period (1850 – 1900) of its Clocks collection. The record is illustrated with 2 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
The “Clock with View of Lake Geneva – Circa 1890” is a captivating blend of artistry and horological precision, embodying the elegance of late 19th-century Swiss craftsmanship. This exquisite timepiece is not merely a clock but a piece of history, featuring a stunning enamel dial that beautifully captures the serene landscape of Lake Geneva, complete with its iconic bridge, distant buildings, and majestic mountains. Designed with a keywind bar movement, this clock showcases a suspended going barrel and a plain cock with a striking blue steel regulator, highlighting the intricate engineering synonymous with Swiss watchmaking of the era. Its balance, crafted from gilt and featuring three arms, is paired with a blue steel spiral hairspring, while the cylinder and escape wheel are meticulously polished steel, all of which contribute to its precise timekeeping. The clock’s face, adorned with Roman numerals and elegant blue steel hands, is set against a pristine white enamel background, exuding timeless sophistication. Encased in a robust circular brass housing, this clock doubles as a paperweight and offers versatility with a sliding dovetail mount for wall display. The luxurious design is further enhanced by a thick bevelled flat glass, providing a window into the exquisite craftsmanship within. Signed by D J Depose and originating from Paris, this clock, with a diameter of 71 mm, is a testament to the artistry and precision of its time, making it a cherished collectible for connoisseurs of fine horology. This Swiss cylinder clock from the late 19th Century is a remarkable timepiece. It features a beautiful view of Lake Geneva on its enamel dial, depicting the bridge and buildings on the far bank with mountains in the background. The clock has a keywind bar movement with a suspended going barrel and a plain cock with a blue steel regulator. The balance is plain and has three arms, made of gilt, with a blue steel spiral hairspring. The cylinder and escape wheel are made of polished steel. The dial is white enamel with Roman numerals and blue steel hands. The clock is housed in a heavy circular brass case, which not only functions as a paperweight but also has a sliding dovetail mount for wall hanging. The case is complemented by a very thick bevelled flat glass, adding to its luxurious appearance. Signed D J Depose Place of Origin: Paris Date of Manufacture: Circa 1890 Diameter: 71 mm
Historical context
Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)
American interchangeable-parts manufacture; railroad time standards; Swiss and German factory systems.
Factory production transformed the clock into an everyday object. American makers (Seth Thomas, Ansonia, Waterbury) and German factories (Junghans, Gustav Becker, Lenzkirch) sold millions of shelf, wall and alarm clocks worldwide; France produced standardised Paris movements and carriage clocks; electric time distribution began.
Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Precision & Scientific Horology
Atlas type guide
Domestic clocks
A clock combines four systems: a source of power (falling weight, coiled spring, or later electricity), a gear train that divides time, an escapement and oscillator that regulate it (foliot, pendulum or balance), and an indicating system of dial and hands or a bell. Its history runs from the large iron weight-driven clocks of the late thirteenth century to Renaissance spring-driven table clocks, the pendulum revolution of 1656, the factory clocks of the nineteenth century and electric and quartz clocks of the twentieth.
Domestic clocks also reflect regional furniture and decorative traditions — English longcase and bracket clocks, French pendules, Viennese regulators, Black Forest and American shelf clocks — and therefore record changing tastes as much as technical progress.
What to look for
- How the clock is powered: weights, spring barrel, fusee, electric coil.
- The oscillator: foliot, short pendulum, long seconds pendulum or balance.
- Whether it strikes: hour only (count wheel) or hours and quarters (rack striking).
- The maker or retailer's name on dial and movement, and any factory trademarks.
- Signs of alteration — replaced dials, converted escapements, 'married' cases.
Dating clues
- Before 1656 clocks used foliots or balances; after, most domestic clocks have pendulums.
- Anchor escapements spread after c. 1670; minute hands became common at the same time.
- Factory production in America and Germany transformed prices after c. 1840.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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