15,000 CHF
LE ROY, SKELETON CLOCK WITH PIN-WHEEL ESCAPEMENT Le Roy, Hr. de Madame a Paris, No. 340B. Made circa 1810. Very fine and rare, gilt brass and black marble, center-seconds, 8-day going, hour and half-hour striking precision skeleton clock with pin-wheel escapement and half-seconds beating 9-rod gridiron pendulum. A-shaped brass frame with four turned pillars, toupie feet, octagonal black marble base, gilt brass engine-turned bezel. Convex white enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with Arabic 15-minute numerals, inner seconds track with half-second divisions. Black Breguet hands. Going barrels for both trains, pin-wheel escapement, crutch with beat adjustment screw, brass and steel 9-rod gridiron pendulum with spring suspension, elliptical brass-bob with rating nut, striking the hours and half-hours on a bell with outside countwheel. Notes Dial signed, movement signed "L" and numbered. DIM. 38 x 27.5 x 12 cm. MADAME The dial inscription "hr. de Madame" refers to Napoleon's mother, Madame Mere. As Emperor, Napoleon bestowed on his mother the title of "Son Altesse Impériale, Madame Mère de l'Empereur" (Her Imperial Highness, Mother of the Emperor). He also gave her an annual pension of 300,000 francs, and a house with full staff, including a priest, ladies in waiting and servants. GRIDIRON PENDULUM The rod is composed of separate bars of brass and steel rods having different coefficients of expansion, so that the pendulum has the same length at any
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2014-03-16
