A fine Gorge cased carriage clock by one of the greatest of the French Victorian maker's, Henri Jacot, retailed by that other fine maker Le Roy et Fils. The eight day movement has a relatively large platform lever escapement with an overcoil hairspring and is stamped with the trademark of the famous London chronometer escapement maker John Travers, a fish within an oval along with the name 'Travers' and the serial number '3225'., with Grande-Sonnerie striking (the quarters and the hours on each quarter) on two gongs and alarm work, with one side of the movement plates stamped ''No. 1 3558 Le Roy & Fils Palais-Royal 13 - 15 Paris'. The inside of the backplate and the rear of the dial falseplate are both stamped with the trademark of the maker Henri Jacot showing the the awards for various medals obtained. To the base is the lever to change the strike operation from 'silence, 'quarts (ting-tang on the two gongs) or 'GDE. Sonnerie (the grande sonnerie striking of the ting-tang quarters followed by the hour on each quarter). The movement is stamped with Jacot's serial number '5283'. The white enamel dial has a typical Jacot inner ring, black Roman hour numerals, a subsidiary alarm dial, blued steel spade hands and is signed 'Le Roy & Fils, Palais Royal, 13 - 15, Paris, London'. The rear of the dial is marked with the instructions from Jacot to the dial maker.
For another example of a French carriage clock signed by Jacot, Travers and Le Roy see 'A Century of Fine Carriage Clocks' by Fanelli and Terwilliger, item 63 where the different signatures are discussed.
* That this clock has an escapement made by John Travers (1849 - 1937) shows it's quality. Travers worked in London as a chronometer escapement maker having originally started with the famous chronomerter maker Thomas Mercer and worked for such luminaries as Kullberg for over fifty years. He very rarely made any escapements that were not for chronometer carriage clocks so to get an overcoil lever such as this one by him is particularly unusual. He is written about in 'Carriage Clocks' by Allix and Bonnert under the heading 'Some Celebrated Workmen'.
* 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.
* Basile Charles Le Roy was the Master Clockmaker to Napolean & along with his son Charles-Louis were clockmaker’s to the Princess Pauline and the Duke de Bourbon. Examples of their work are in all the major collections as well in the Ministere de la Guerre, Paris. The Maison de Le Roy was founded in 1785 at Palais Royal & continued until the death of Charles at Versailles in 1865.
Height: 6½ inches
13 - 15 Palais-Royal, Paris in 2005
Price: £5,450.00