DESCRIPTION:
France, a rare electromagnetic mantel timepiece with rotary governor, the deeply molded, square black slate base below a conforming gilt plate with two turned columns flanking the armature with centrifugal governor, and supporting a rectangular plate surmounted by the gilt movement with shaped plates and four wheel train, roman numeral white enamel dial with gilt bezel and blued steel Breguet style hands and central sweep seconds indicator, all beneath a later, square plexiglass dome
CONDITION:
base originally with three feet, now missing, base dirty and with chips at front corners, lower plate with hole for unknown, missing component, gilding dirty, with spotting and minor losses, dial good, hands with minor patchy oxide, steel plate above armature coils with oxide, governor weights with tarnish, dome replaced, not running. An unusual clock, using a motor with pinion at it's upper end, driving a contrate wheel at the bottom of the train, and providing continuous motion to the hands. The governor weights are thrown out with increasing speed, raising the governor frame, eventually breaking the circuit if the armature turns too rapidly. As the rotation slows, the circuit will be restored. This clock was part of the Professor Iain Cleator collection, sold at Christies, London, November 25, 1998, lot 414.
ESTIMATE:
$1400
-
$1800
PRICE SOLD:
$4500
CIRCA: 1875
DIMENSIONS: 12.75in x 10.25in x 10in
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