Dreweatts & Bloomsbury (Dreweatts)
Lot 22
A fine French lacquered brass miniature gorge cased grande sonnerie striking... A fine French lacquered brass miniature gorge cased grande sonnerie striking carriage clock with push-button repeat and alarm Retailed by Henry Capt succeeded by Louis Gallopin et Cie, Geneve, late 19th century The eight-day two train movement striking the hour on the larger of two gongs followed by ting-tang notation for the relevant quarter every fifteen minutes, with silver platform lever escapement, alarm sounding on the smaller gong and signed HENRY CAPT, L's GALLOPIN & CIE, SUCC'RS and numbered 8495 to backplate, the rectangular white enamel Arabic numeral dial with full repeat signature HENRY CAPT, Geneve, L's GALLOPIN & CIE, SUCC'RS to centre and blued steel hands above subsidiary alarm setting dial to lower margin, the Mignonette No. 3 sized lacquered brass bevel-glazed gorge case with hinged carrying handle and three position strike selection lever annotated GÞ Sonnerie/Silence/P'te Sonnerie to underside, 10cm (4ins) high excluding handle; with original leather covered outer travelling case. Henry Capt is recorded in Allix, Charles and Bonnert, Peter CARRIAGE CLOCKS, Their history and development as a retailer of best quality French carriage clocks who had premises in both Paris (Rue d'Alger in 1850, Rue Scribe in 1870 and Rue de la Paix in 1880) and London (151 Regent Street). By 1893 the firm was in financial difficulty which lead to the Paris and Geneva operations being taken-on by Louis Gallopin et Cie and the London Premises passing to Martin & Co. The fact that the current clock is both signed for Capt and his successors suggests that it was supplied at around the time the business was being transferred to Louis Gallopin et Cie.
