Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art

A brass-mounted mahogany grande-sonnerie striking musical organ clock, Pierre Jaquet Droz, Swiss, circa 1785

VAT reduced rateUK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Auction Closed

November 9, 01:23 PM GMT

Estimate

20,000 - 30,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A brass-mounted mahogany grande-sonnerie striking musical organ clock, Pierre Jaquet Droz, Swiss, circa 1785

11¾-inch enamel dial, the three train clock movement with chain fusee to the going train with verge escapement and silk suspension, the striking and quarter trains with spring barrels, grande-sonnerie striking on three bells, the cadrature mounted on the backplate, the separate drive for the musical movement mounted at ninety degrees to the clock movement and with tandem double chain fusees wound from the side, triggered by the clock movement at the hour, powering the musical movement below, with a crank to the bellows and vertical drive to an 8-inch pinned wooden cylinder playing on of eight airs on thirteen pipes, the frames of the musical movement signed P Jaquet Droz a la, Chaux de Fonds en Suisse, the case with shallow bell top and brass finials above stop-fluted canted corners and brass-moulded panels, the front and side doors with gilt-brass vertical sound grills

92cm 3ft high

Pierre Jaquet Droz was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1721 and studied watch and clockmaking locally. He quickly became known for the quality of his clocks and watches. His technical ingenuity led to a specialism in musical clocks and watches and, in particular, automata. A fine craftsman but also a businessman, he sold clocks and watches to the King of Spain and had business interests in Paris, London and Geneva. Jaquet Droz eventually retired to Bienne, Switzerland and died there in 1790. The present clock is a fine example in true Neuchateloise style.