Offered by GSLR Antiques
Antique-style wall clock in chased bronze or gilded with matte and burnished gold, "Royal quality model", made by the most prestigious craftsmen of the Louis XV - Louis XVI period: Jean Antoine Lepine, Horloger du Roy and Robert Osmond, bronze worker.
The circular enamelled dial, signed "Lepine Horloger du Roy", indicates the hours and minutes in increments of five in Roman and Arabic numerals by two gilt copper pierced hands. It is set in a neoclassical case entirely made of finely chased bronze or gilded with matt and burnished gold. The bezel is underlined by reserves of channels and rosettes; the amortization is formed by an urn "in the antique", decorated with palms and finished by a flame, in the handles of which passes a long fall of laurels. The lower part, bordered by two lateral acanthus leaves, is centered by a glass window showing the movement of the balance wheel and ends in a sheath decorated with rows of piastres and an acanthus leaf lamp base. The movement is also signed by Lépine, the case by Osmond. The original drawing of this cartel is reproduced under Number 37 in a work kept in the collections of the INHA library (Recueil de desseins. Modèles de pendules, années 1755-1780)
Jean-Antoine I Lépine (1720-1814), is one of the most prestigious clockmakers of the 18th century. In 1762, he was appointed Watchmaker to the King and the Garde-Meuble of the Crown, and signed his works with the title of Lepine Horloger du Roi. His work is considerable, he delivered nearly 32 clocks and cartels to the royal family at the Palace of Versailles and also secured a prestigious clientele among the high nobility and great enthusiasts of the time.
Robert Osmond (1711 - 1789), became a master bronze worker in Paris in 1746. He was one of the first to protect his rights as a creator by signing his work, a practice not common among bronze workers of the time. In 1775, his nephew Jean Baptiste took over his business until 1784.
The Osmonds had a prolific career and produced all sorts of furniture bronzes, including ewerpets, wall lights and inkwells, but today they are best known for the clock cases they supplied to the best watchmakers of the time, as shown on our cartel.
From a technical point of view, our cartel is a rare model with ringing on demand. Placed in the alcove of the room above the bed, it allows the insomniac sleeper to know the time of the night by pulling the cord (the clock re-sounds the last hour passed).
But it is above all a rare complication mechanism with escapement said to the Chevalier de Bethune and with a ringing with 2 bells. The cartel rings the hours and half-hours and when the cord is pulled for the ringing on demand, it also rings the quarters.
The combination of two of the best craftsmen and the technical features of our cartel make it a piece of quality equivalent to the royal orders, a beautiful amateur clock for a large collection or a museum.
Excellent original condition: the gilded bronze has kept its 18th century mercury gilding in good condition. The glass globe is also the original one. The movement works (wire suspension). Complete overhaul on our watchmaker, movement completely dismantled, cleaned, overhauled. Key reported.
Height : 62cm
Width : 30cm
