Drocourt, Paris: A silver carriage clock with Macrea case

A small silver cased carriage clock by Alfred Drocourt of Paris. The eight-day duration movement has a platform lever escapement and, unusually for a small clock of this type which are generally fitted with timepiece only movements, strikes and the hours and half-hours on a gong with a repeat via a button to the top. The backplate is stamped with the serial number 32724 along with the Drocourt trademark, the initials D.C. either side of a clock within an oval, which has oddly been stamped upside down.

The round white enamel dial has black Roman hour numerals, Arabic five-minute outer numerals and blued steel spade hands.

The decorative silver repoussé case has a shaped handle to the top, bun feet and his hallmarked for silver, London 1899 along with the stamped mark for the maker Frederick Bradford Macrea, the initials FBM within a shaped cartouche, who is recorded as working in Victoria Street, Westminster, London.

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.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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