Drocourt, Paris: A fine engraved grande-sonnerie carriage clock on stand

A fine and important grande-sonnerie carriage clock by Drocourt of Paris. The eight-day duration movement has a silvered platform lever escapement and can be set to full grande-sonnerie strike (both hours and quarters at each quarter); petite-sonnerie (quarter striking) or silent via a lever set within the base. The backplate is stamped with the Drocourt trademark and serial number 19771. Interestingly, all the markings are in Swedish, an attribute not noted previously on a clock by this maker.

The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals, blued steel moon hands and is signed for the retailer Linderoth, Stockholm with three further subsidiary dials set to the lower portion showing the days of the week, the days of the month and the alarm setting, all within a beautifully engraved mask.

The finely engraved gilded Cannalée case rests on a matching base, supported to the four corners by 'dragons'.

The clockmaking firm of Linderoth were active in Stockholm, Sweden, between 1844 & 1963 having been founded by Gustav Wilhelm Linderoth, with manufacturing and sales facilities at Drottninggatan 28. Following the death of Gustav in 1871 his widow Betty, herself a fine award-winning watchmaker, took over the running of the business, followed a year later by her son Johan.

Linderoth’s made many fine and important turret and public clocks and were considered amongst the most important makers of the period worldwide having supplied most churches and railway stations in Sweden, often with highly decorative clocks, as well as many institutes in Europe and the Americas.

It is of no surprise therefore that a clock of this undoubted quality would’ve been commissioned by them from Drocourt, quite possibly as a special order for a client.

Pierre Drocourt, born 1819, founded the Drocourt clock-making business in Paris in 1853 with his son Alfred, born 1847, taking over in 1872. The blancs roulants, rough movements, were made in Saint-Nicolas-d'Aliermont, a town outside Dieppe, where Drocourt had workshops until their sale in 1904, being premises purchased from Holingue frères in 1875 who had previously supplied Drocourt. The clocks were then finished ready for sale at their workshops at 28 Rue Debelleyme, Paris; previously Rue Limoges.

Provenance: The Derek Roberts Collection

Derek Roberts notes: This exceptional French gilded gorge cased grande-sonnerie carriage clock is one of the most fascinating we have seen.

Leigh Extence notes: For further details of Drocourt see my 2014 Exhibition catalogue: Pierre & Alfred Drocourt: An Exhibition of Carriage Clocks, available via the Extence website.

Dimensions

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report

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