Shown on the left
A fine Corniche cased carriage clock by one of the finest of the French Victorian maker's, Henri Jacot, with a lovely piece of history. The eight day movement has a relatively large platform lever escapement with an overcoil hairspring and is stamped with the trademark of the escapement maker a Gothic 'h' within a box along with the serial number '7525', with Grande-Sonnerie striking (the quarters and the hours on each quarter) on two gongs and alarm work, with the backplate stamped with the trademark of Jacot, a parrot on a perch with either side the initials 'H.J.', along with his serial number '12022' which is repeated to the underside of the beautifully constructed gilded brass case. The rear of the dial falseplate is stamped with a further trademark showing the awards for various medals obtained by Jacot. To the base is the lever to change the strike operation from 'silent', 'quarters only' (ting-tang on the two gongs) or 'full striking' (the grande sonnerie striking of the ting-tang quarters followed by the hour on each quarter). The white enamel dial has a typical Jacot inner ring, black Roma hour numerals, a subsidiary alarm dial, blued steel spade hands and a gilded sight ring.
The original leather travelling box has a label to the underside on which is printed the details of the retailer along with the details and date of the original purchaser; 'Cooke & Kelvey, Watch, Clock & Chronometer Makers to H.E. The Viceroy & Governor General of India. Name E.H. Stone Esq. Case & key. Date 18-7-1899. Calcutta, Simla & London'. With a further repairers tie-on label inside giving the name of Mr Stone and his address at the time as Rachael Cottage, B.T. (Bovey Tracey, Devon) with the cost of the repair at 20/-, whilst the rear of the case has a further label giving the name and address of obviously a family member to whom it was handed down as 'B.S. Stone c/o Lloyds Bank Newton Abbot Devon'. This not only gives us these wonderful details but also means we can date this Jacot serial number 12022 to circa 1899.
* Henri Jacot was one of the most well known and best maker's of carriage clocks in the Victorian period with an address at 31, Rue de Montmorency, Paris. The first Henri Jacot died in 1868 and was succeeded by his nephew also Henri. They won many medals at exhibitions in both Paris and London including the Gold medal in 1900. For a full history see 'Carriage Clocks' by Allix and Bonnert.
* Cooke & Kelvey by appointment to Her Majesty's Government in India, set up shop in Calcutta in the year that followed the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. For the next years, following the English patterns finest silver craftsmen created the myriad table pieces without which the colonials' dinner or tea tables were incomplete and C & K became India's answer to London's own Tiffany's and Aspreys.
Height: 6½ inches
The Showrooms of Cooke and Kelvsey
The Label on the base of the carrying case
Price: £5,450.00