A corniche cased French carriage clock attributed to the well known maker Drocourt. The eight-day duration movement has the original silvered platform lever escapement engraved with typical ‘fast/slow’ indication in Drocourt style script, and is stamped on the backplate with the serial number 15419, with all the markings in Drocourt style including the arrow for hand setting. The movement has a further serial number stamped between the plates, 1448, being that of the roulant blanc maker.

The brass Corniche case is of better than average quality and is also stamped with the serial number to it's base and has the double screws to the pillars holding the movement into the case, as opposed to the normal single. This use of extra screws is a further indication of a clock from the workshops of Drocourt. The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals, diamond and dot markings to the outer aspect, as seen on dials used by both Jacot & Drocourt, and blued steel moon hands.

Having spent some years researching the lives and clocks of Henri Jacot and his family, I am now doing the same for Drocourt with the aim of a combined book on the two. To that end I am able to offer the following previously unknown details.

Pierre Drocourt, born 1819 & his son Alfred, born 1847, were one of the top maker's of carriage clocks in the mid to late Victorian period, having a factory at Saint-Nicolas-d'Ailermont, the most important town for carriage clock manufacture at the time, as well as premises in Paris at Rue Debelleyme 28, previously named Rue de Limoges prior to 1866. They made superb carriage clocks which were often decorative and were awarded numerous medals at exhibitions, such as the Bronze Medal at Paris 1867, the Silver at Paris 1878 and the gold at Paris in 1889. Alfred succeeded his father Pierre in circa 1871, with the latter’s retirement returning to his home village with his wife Marie and daughter Melanie.

Height: 5½ inches (not including handle), 6½ inches (including handle)