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A fine George II ebony and brass-mounted musical large table clock with calendar and quarter repeat

SIMON DECHARMS, LONDON. CIRCA 1725

Details

A fine George II ebony and brass-mounted musical large table clock with calendar and quarter repeat
Simon Decharms, London. Circa 1725
The dial with silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with pierced blued steel hands, the centre (now planished) with calendar and mock pendulum aperture signed Simon Decharms London, subsidiary dials below engraved in French with the twelve months together with the relevant number of days, on the right the days of the week with their own deities, each with blued steel hand, the upper subsidiaries on the left for pendulum regulation and on the right for selection of Premier Air/Deuxe. Air with blued steel hands, the central lunar dial with large silvered ring engraved with the age of the moon with the phases shown within, the lunar dial flanked by winged heralds within delicate and profuse scrolling foliage extending around the edge of the entire dial, the substantial three train movement with eight ring-turned pillars, triple spring barrels and gut fusees, the going train with with verge escapement, the pendulum with steel spring suspended from an engraved brass rise-and-fall bar regulated by a cam adjusted from the upper left subsidiary on the dial plate, the hours struck on a bell, pull quarter repeat on six bells via six hammers with spring-loaded pulley mounted on the backplate, the excellent music playing on twelve bells via twenty-four hammers with six inter-changeable brass barrels each engraved with two tunes;
No. 1 Grenadiers March Lelibuero
No. 2 Room for a Rover A Jigg
No. 3 Old Woman Poor & Blind A Minuet
No. 4 The Dame of Honour The Rummer
No. 5 Amiable Vaingueur The Conceit
No. 6 A Trumpet A Trumpet Minuet
The barrels held with a latched and spring-loaded locking mechanism, the backplate and securing brackets engraved with delicate foliage inhabited with birds and masks, the case with repoussé brass basket top surmounted by an urn finial above an inverted moulding flanked by later ebonised wood finials, large baluster handles to the sides set with elaborate pierced brass sound frets, similar frets to the gallery frieze and doors, the brass-bound ogee moulded base set with a drawer with individual compartments for the pin barrels and winding key; possibly originally with a turntable base
33in. (84cm.) high

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Simon Descharms or De Charmes, was a Frenchman made a Free Brother of the Clockmakers' Company in April 1691. He is believed to be the father of David De Charmes and was working in London until at least 1704 at His House The Sign of the Clock the corner of Warwick Street, Charing Cross. He was noted for his musical clocks and was known to have spent a period of time working in Paris

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