Probably the first of the Charles II series of grande-sonnerie clocks.
Purchased by J. B. Hawkins from Terence Cuss in 1982.
Sold to Kerry Packer for £125,000.
Sold to Anthony Woodburn for £400,000 in 1992.
Repurchased through Carter Marsh and sold to a Private Client in September 2023, the third time I have sold this, the finest and rarest English Bracket Clock still in Private hands.
An important Charles II silver-mounted ebony two-train Grande Sonnerie striking and trip-repeating table clock. The ebony-veneered case, attributed to Jasper Braem (fl.1661-d.1696), surmounted by a foliate-clasped thistle-bud handle in solid silver with leaf baseplates, mounted above the pierced and chased silver repoussé basket top, which is decorated to all sides with intricate flowers, scrolls and foliage, with internal iron-strap support to allow carrying.
Flanking are four pierced silver acanthus leaf finials, above the Tompion’s own top mouldings of ogee/ovolo pattern in solid ebony. The front door with a foliate scroll sound fret to the top rail and silver bellflower escutcheons to the side rails; the case side apertures inset with silver leaf and scroll frets. The inset glazed rear door giving access to the engraved rear control-plate, with half-round ebony lap mouldings to the edge. The whole of the wooden case body lifts up, the movement mounted on a solid brass base-plate with four veneered silver block feet. The base-plate fixed to the case section with four screws and re-instated lever-bolts to the ‘secret’ locking system.
The 71⁄2 inch square brass dial, covered in silk as with the year going two second pendulum clocks at Greenwich made to the order of Sir Jonas Moore and installed, September 24th 1676. Set with a silver chapter ring with Roman hours and delicate fleur-de-lys half-hour markers, the Arabic minutes every 5 and set outside their division ring. The corners applied with four cast and chased silver winged-cherub spandrels. The central silver roundel, pierced and engraved with foliage and signed Thomas Tompion London. The winding holes with re-instated silver collars, and a silver framed mock pendulum aperture below XII. The pierced and sculpted solid silver hands, the minute hand has a contrasting inset blued-steel tip to the end as it passes over the silver dial.
The unique and complex multi-plate movement has seven latched baluster pillars to the main plates, with further latched subsidiary plates, the pendulum suspended between the plain back plate and engraved rear control-plate. With twin gut fusees and spring barrels, going for 8-days, the strike positioned on the right and the going train to the left. The grande sonnerie strike train is set within subsidiary plates, the quarters chiming on three small bells, with the hours on the larger bell.
The fire-gilded rear control-plate is engraved with a double wheatear border, interrupted bottom centre by a lambrequin cartouche, signed Tho=Tompion Londini Fecit. The inner section is engraved with tulips, a vase and entwining foliage within the large, silvered pendulum-regulation ring, with blued-steel arrow hand. The central regulation arrow-hand is squared onto the arbor of a pinion gearing with a straight vertical toothed bar, mounted on the reverse of the controlplate to raise or lower the pendulum. The control-plate’s quadrants set with spade- hands, of which the lower pair lock the pendulum during carriage, and the upper-right controls the manner of striking, the upper-left to maintain the plate’s symmetry. Height: 14 inches.