A gilt-and patinated-bronze mantel clock, the dial and movement signed Gosselin A Paris, the case stamped S. Germain Louis XV, circa 1750

5½-inch enamel dial with finely pierced and engraved gilt hands and signed Gosselin A Paris, the rear of the dial inscribed in the enamel a.n. Martiniere, Pnair Du Roy, Ca 14 Avril 1752, the two train movement with five knopped pillars, verge escapement with silk suspension, numbered outside count wheel striking on a bell, a detent now unused triggered at each hour, the backplate signed Gosselin A Paris, No. 837, the drum surmounted by a seated winged putto and trailing flowers, mounted on the back of an elephant with raised trunk and standing on a rocky base with boldly cast rococo scrolls



 

Partridge Fine Arts, London.

Dial in generally good condition, very minor chips around both winding holes and at fixing points, minute hand repaired. Movement appears to have original wheelwork throughout and looks as though it would run but the pendulum is missing. It would probably benefit from a clean. The case is in generally good original condition with fine patination to the bronze and some rubbing to the gilding particularly on the base. With a winder but no pendulum.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping.

Important Notice regarding importation into the United States of Rolex watches
Sotheby's cannot arrange for the delivery of Rolex watches to the United States because U.S. laws restricts the import of Rolex watches. The buyer or a designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale."

Comparative Literature:
H. Ottomeyer/Peter Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. 1, p.123, fig.2.8.3.
P. Kjellberg, Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe siècle, Paris, 1997, pp.125-128.
H. Tardy, French Clocks the World Over: vol. 1, 5th ed., Paris, 1981, p. 284.
Geoffrey de la Bellaigue, The James A. De Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, vol. I, London, 1974, p. 100-102.

During the mid-eighteenth century, the taste for all things exotic created a demand for clocks incorporating rhinoceroses and elephants.  This charming model has been designed by the casemaker Jean-Joseph St. Germain and was produced in collaboration with a number of different horlogers for the domestic and export market.  The elephant and putto design is probably inspired by a contemporary Meissen porcelain model by Peter Reinicke which has a nearly identical stance, illustrated by G. de la Bellaigue, op. cit., pp.100-102.

An otherwise identical clock, the movement signed by the horloger Julien le Roy, the case stamped by St. Germain, sold Christies, London, 17th June 1987, lot 38, see fig.1.The same model, the movement signed by Moisy, the case stamped by St. Germain, is illustrated in Ottomeyer and Pröschel, op. cit., p. 123, fig.2.8.3. 

A further identical model from the collection of Countess Benckendorff, the movement by Viger à Paris, the case by St. Germain, sold, Sotheby's, London, 24th November 1972, lot 47. Similar examples exist in the Bodenstein collection, Berlin; at Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire, the seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch; and at Fontainebleau Palace, illustrated by Tardy, op. cit. 

Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain (1719-91):

He was a Parisian bronze-worker, the son of an ébéniste specialising in clock cases, and, on his mother's side, a cousin of the bronze-worker Jean-Louis Prieur.  Saint-Germain was admitted to the guild of fondeurs in 1748 and soon became renowned for elaborate rococo clock-cases of the kind seen here, often modelled on animals mounted with Chinese or classical mythological figures.  He turned to restrained neo-classicism in the 1760s. His work can be found in almost all the major arts museums of the world. A signed example by him is rare.

Jean-Philippe Gosselin (d.1766):
He made numerous clock movements, including musical clocks, and is known to have worked with important casemakers such as St. Germain and Antoine Foullet (d.1779).

Antoine-Nicolas Martiniere:
He is recorded as working at Rue des Cinq-Diamants in 1741.  He became a Pensionnaire Du Roy in 1746 and died in 1784. 

The now unused detent was probably originally intended to trigger a musical movement within a casket base no longer with this clock.