Alfred Drocourt for Queen Victoria
Gifted to her Favoured Godson Victor Biddulph

Not only a superb grande-sonnerie carriage clock by Drocourt but a clock with a wonderful history and provenance.

This clock was presented by Queen Victoria to her Godson Victor Biddulph on his confirmation on the 30th of March 1877.

I undertook many months of research into both the clock and the families that had ownership of it following it being gifted by Queen Victoria. This culminated in taking it to America where it was one of two highights of my lecture given to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors at the 75th Annual Convention in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The history of the clock, the owners and their respective relationships is quite remarkable, especially that between the Queen and the recepient of the clock Victor Biddulph and his family.

One of the highights of the research was obtaining a letter from Prince Leopold, son of the Queen, sent from Balmoral to Sir Henry Ponsonby, a good friend to Victor Biddulph's father Sir Henry, in which he described Biddulph's impending death and shows the affection in which Biddulph was held by the Queen who visited him daily prior to his death. This letter will stay with the clock.

There was a further surprise when looking in the gap at the back of the travelling box where I found a letter from The war Office detailing further a history of the clock's ownership and a tie-in with Earl Haig.

The presentation slideshow is available via the following link and is illustrated with photographs detailing this history.

A gorge cased French carriage clock.

The eight-day duration movement has a platform lever escapement and grande-sonnerie strike on two gongs. Grande-sonnerie strikes not only the hour at each hour but also at each quarter followed by the quarter hour on the two gongs, being one 'ting-tang' at quarter past, two at half-past and three at a quarter-to. A lever to the underside of the case allows for Silence, Quarters Only or Full Grande-sonnerie.

The backplate of the movement is stamped with the maker's mark for the renowned carriage clock maker Alfred Drocourt, the initials D.C. either side of a clock, along with the clock serial number 15584. This number is repeated to the inside of the plates alongside Drocourt's blanc roulant number 1108.

The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals, Arabic outer five0minute numerals, blued steel moon hnads and is signed for the reatiler J.W. Benson, 24 Old Bond Street, London.

The gorge case has the usual five-bail handle and is engraved to the front:

To Victor Biddulph from his Godmother Victoria R On His Confirmation March 30 1877.

To the underside is a lever for: Sriking/Silent/Full Striking.

Complete with the original numbered leather travelling box with a label attached to the underside: V.M. Biddulph. The silk interior of the lid embossed in gilt J.W. Benson, 25 Old Bond Street, London along with the Royal Warrants.

The gorge case was only used by the best of the French carriage clock makers and the grande-sonnerie strike was the most complicted of those utilised at the tiem, making this clock a special piece in it's own right.