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A very rare Victorian gilt-bronze striking chronometer carriage clock with both date and day. The large elaborately decorated gilt-bronze two tier cast case has numerous floral mounts including garlands and cornucopia, a curvilinear cast handle set between Neptune masks above a glazed escapement viewing aperture, and several figures throughout that include two reclining cherubs centered above the front and back openings, cherubs at the four corners that sit above the Nerieds and Tritons and four dolphins feet.
The elaborately engraved silvered dial has Roman numerals for the hours, wonderful trefoil steel hands for the time, both day and date dials, is signed by the maker, ‘French, Royal Exchange, London’ and is bordered by a thick silvered reflecting edge that conforms to the opening in the case.
The high quality twin fusee chronometer movement is signed on the backplate by the maker, ‘French, Royal Exchange, London’, has five screwed posts, maintaining power, both four and five spoke wheelwork, a high quality balance platform above and strikes the hours and the half-hours on a gong that is mounted to the backplate. Also carried through the backplate are both the winding arbors, the hand set arbor, a strike/silent lever, and levers to advance both the day and date.
The high quality balance platform is elaborately engraved on all the horizontal plates, has a bimetallic split balance wheel with adjusting screws, a steel detent and a steel helical balance spring.
Although there are known examples of this case style, they unusually have French movements and occasionally are fitted with porcelain panels. The combination of such an elaborate case with an English striking chronometer movement with calendar work is extremely rare and was certainly a special order by one of French’s customers.
For a similar example see the October 1995 Antiquorum catalogue where there is a very similar example by French that was made for the Spanish Royal Family.
Height: 11.5in. handle-up.

A very rare early 19th century French ebonized multi-dial mantle clock with an inverted compensating pendulum. The rectilinear case with well-cast ormolu moldings has the clock and the moon aperture in the center, three dials in the base and the inverted pendulum above. The whole sits within a custom made glazed case with an ebonized base.
The three-silvered engraved dials with ormolu bezels indicate the day, month, date and the 29.5 day lunar cycle. They are controlled by a separate simple calendar mechanism that is tripped each day by the strike work of the clock movement. The simple mechanism also controls an ormolu disc that, in accordance with the 29.5 day moon cycle, moves across the aperture above and blocks the silvered disc thus indicating the progression of the moon phases.
The 9-rod steel and brass grid-iron half-second pendulum has tapered outside steel rods, is hung from a steel suspension spring suspended from an ormolu bracket, has a screwed beat adjustment and has a compensation indicator in the center of the silvered and ormolu lenticular bob. A screw that controls a small steel hand rests on the edge of a bimetallic curve. The curve mimics the compensation in the pendulum and as it expands and contracts the hand moves along a curved scale to indicate in what direction the pendulum is presently compensating.
The eight-day twin barrel movement has a pinwheel escapement and strikes on a bell. At the back is a lever that rests on a square shaft with a star wheel and is connected to the lower movement by a string. As the countwheel turns it pushes over the star wheel that in turn pulls the string and advances the lower movement.
The silvered engraved dial has Roman numerals for the hours, Breguet style steel cut hands and a seconds dial that counts off half-seconds as the clock runs.
The clock has been completely restored and is in pristine condition.
Height with Case: 36in.
Height of Clock: 30in.

An early 20th century Swiss silver bird box. The cast silver open fretwork bejeweled case is decorated with scrolls and floral sprays, ‘jewels’ to the corners of the four panels, a silver lid depicting two cherubs with a bird cage, is backed by blue felt and stands on four small round feet. The plain silver bottom is stamped ‘800’ with two other partial stamps.
When the slide is pushed over the movement is activated and the colorful bird pops up from behind the cast fretwork and sings his song while rotating side to side and flapping his beak and wings.
This unusual piece is a very nice example of the early 20th century bird box industry, has been completely restored and operates as originally designed.
Size: 4.25in. x 2.75in.

A very small George II ebonized inverted bell-top bracket clock by the maker Alexander Giroust. The well-proportioned ebonized case has finely turned brasses that include the finials, handle and spandrels, has cast escutcheons that flank the front door and has detailed molded edges on all four glazed sides.
The broken arch dial has cast floral spandrels, silver engraved chapters for the hours, strike/silent and calendar rings and a silver engraved nameplate, ‘Alexr Giroust, London’. The dial also has a finely matted center, an engraved Tudor rose above, finely pierced steel cut hands for the hour, minute and strike/silent adjustment, and apertures for the false pendulum and the calendar. The 5-inch hour chapter has Roman numerals for the hours, diamond marks to the half-hours, Arabic numbers for the five-minute marks and an inside quarter-hour chapter.
The large eight-day double fusee movement with the repeat out the side has five turned and engraved pillars, an engraved back plate and brackets and a crown wheel escapement with a tear drop pendulum. The pallet arbor has a pivot on the front side, a knife-edge on the back and is held in position by an engraved apron.
Much like some of the eminent makers of the period, such as George Graham, Giroust chose to use more simplified markings on the hour chapter ring rather than some of the more elaborate designs. This probably was because of the dial’s smaller size, as elaborate engravings would have made it seem too busy.
Although small bracket clocks of this period are extremely rare, well-proportioned clocks of this size and in this condition are even more desirable.
This superb bracket clock has been completely restored and is in wonderful condition.

Alexander Giroust is listed in ‘Brittens’ as working from 1728-39.
Height – 14in. Handle down.