Leigh Extence 
Fine Antique Clocks

A relatively early multi-piece quarter striking carriage clock by Le Roy et Fils à Paris.

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The unusual sixteen-day duration movement has screwed pillars with a central fin and strikes the hours and the quarters on a bell on two hammers. The skeletonised platform lever escapement has a plain brass balance and has been seen on other clocks of this period; one signed for Leroy and another initialed P.G. and attributed to Paul Garnier who it is known made clocks for Leroy to retail. The latter was an almost identical clock to this example albeit without the quarter strike.

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The silvered brass engine-turned dial has decorative engraving to the centre, black Roman numerals and blued steel club hands.

 

The gilded multi-piece case is engraved to the front Le Roy et Fils à Paris and has a solid rear door, with shutters that open to facilitate winding and setting the hands.

 

Height: 7 inches (17.5cms) handle up: 5¾ inches (15cms) handle down

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Basile-Charles Le Roy was born in Paris in 1765, the son of the clockmaker Bazile Le Roy (1731-1804) and became a maître in 1788 having founded la Maison de Le Roy at 60, Galerie de Pierre, Palais-Royal in circa 1785 following the opening of the Palais-Royal gardens to the public and its buildings to the trade by Philippe Egalité, the duc d'Orléans, allowing a number of other clockmakers to set up shop in the arcade galleries. Following the French Revolution, during which Le Roy worked for the Republic signing his clocks Elroy, Le Roy moved his business to Galerie Montpensier, 13-15 Palais-Royal, where they were to remain for nearly a hundred years. Le Roy was appointed a clockmaker to the Emperor Napoleon and to the latter's mother Madame Mère, as well as being clockmaker to Princess Pauline and Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia and then in 1829 he was appointed Royal Clockmaker to the duc de Bourbon and duc de Chartres. He exhibited clocks at the Paris Exposition of l'an VI (1797/8) and then 1819, 1823 and 1827. Basile-Charles's son Charles-Louis, born 1794, joined his father as a partner in 1828 after which the business became known as Le Roy et Fils and he was appointed both Horloger du Roi and Horloger du Ministère de la Marine in 1835. Basile-Charles died in 1839 and Charles-Louis in 1865, after which the business continued at the same address.