Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 24, 1999

LOT 57

Jaquet-Droz a La Chaux-de-Fonds, circa 1760. Extremely fine and rare, red tortoiseshell veneered and ormolu hour and half-hour striking and hour repeating musical bracket clock.

CHF 100,000 - 120,000

C. Rectangular, tortoiseshell veneered brass mounted with gilt bronze vine branched applied on the canted corners, and rocaille feet, the pediment with pinecone finials and surmounted by a fine gilt bronze branch of foliage and flowers, the side panel with gilt brass frets, and external bronze handels. D. White enamel with Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute ring. Gilt brass Louis XV hands. The gilt brass dial plate is applied below the dial with gilt bronze scrolling folliage. M. Brass rectangular with cylindrical pillars, fusee with chain, verge escapement, half seconds beating pendulum with silk suspension. Striking train with fusee and chain, the count wheel on the back plate. Striking and repeating on a bell, the pull-cord repeating train with rack and levers on the back plate. Musical movement: Eight tune playing musical train with fusee and chain fly regulator playing each hour on 12 pipes, playing at will by means of a pull cord. A disc on the left side panel allow the tuned to be selected. Signature on the back plate. Dim. 84 x 44 x 26 cm.


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Grading System
Case: 3

Good
Movement: *3

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

The mainspring is signed G. Langin, known to be the spring maker of the Jaquet Droz workshop. Only two other clocks of this type are known to exist, one in a Swiss private collection, the other in the M.I.H. (Musee International d'Horlogelic in La Chaux-de-Fonds). PierreJaquet-Droz (1721-1790) From 1752 to 1784, Pierre Jaquet-Droz founded the firm to which he gave his name; later, his son I-Ienri (1752-1791), joined the firm. When Pierre Jaquet-Droz grew old, the first was taken over by his son Henri and his adoptive son Jean Frederic Leschot (1746-1824?), who changed the name to Jaquet-Droz & Leschot. That is when the company moved from La Chauds de Foncls to Geneva. Born in La Chauds de Fonds, Pierre Jaquet-Droz studied mathematics and theology, and then became interested in horology. He sent his son, Henri, to Nancy in France to study mathematics, physics, music and drawing. When his son joined the firth, they began producing automata for which they became famous all over Europe. Pierre Jaquet-Droz was the first to make singing bird boxes and enjoyed an excellent reputation for complicated clocks, Neuchatel clocks and automaton timepieces. Jaquet-Droz & Leschot are responsible Ibr introducing complicated timepieces in Geneva. For a time, the firm ' s main activities were the export of luxury and unusual complicated watches, the manufacture of singing mechanical birds, as well as the making of clocks in Neuchatel. These items were namely sold in England, from where they would then be offered on the Asian Market. In order to facilitate the sale of these items, they kept their London branch, which had been opened in 1775 and was managed by one of their best collaborators Henry Maillardet. Although their type of association changed in 1793, Maillardet continued to be in charge of the London branch through which he supplied magnificent watches made by the eminent maker to Cox and Beale, the successors of J. Cox & Son in Canton, the famous dealers of luxury watches made for the Chinese Market. Signatures of Henry-Louis Jaquet-Droz, James Cox and Henry Maillardet on a contract dated 1783 (A. Chapnis and E. Jaquet, The Histan'' of Me Self Winching Watch, p. 160) . Although unsigned or bearing the signature of Henry Maillardet or of other makers, several watches destined for the Chinese Market and sold through London were in fact produced in Switzerland in the workshop of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, Pierre Jaquet-Droz died in Bienne in 1790 and Ilenri Jaquet-Droz in Naples in 1791. They were succeeded by Jean Frederic Leshot who took over the firm.