Price: £

Description: This fine mid-19th-century French carriage clock is in good working order. Its white enamelled dial carries the retailer's name 'E J Dent Paris' (Edward John Dent) - this important clockmaker's name can also be found in italic script on the movement's backplate. When its original trefoil hands land on the hour or a half-hour it will strike them delicately on a turned bell (the hours can be repeated by a simple press of the button cited on top of the case). An alarm can also be set by repositioning the hands on the smaller subsidiary dial to the time of your choosing. The clock's high-quality movement is housed in a gilded 'one-piece' case - it is cast in brass with a finely shaped handle and has a hinged and glazed rear door. The clock's lever-escapement is original (please see photographs). As you can see from the images, there is a small, very fine and historic, hairline crack to the dial's enamelled surface (bottom-right corner) - personally, we feel this is a minor flaw when considering its age and the fact it may have been transported great distances. Also, when you take into account how original the rest of the clock is, it does seem a shame to make alterations now, after 170 years of use. However, we would take direction from interested parties. The case has been stamped twice with the number '416', and interestingly 'April 11th 1902' has been discretely inscribed to its underside. This has almost certainly been placed there by a clockmaker after completing a service. Edward Dent commissioned notable French makers, such as Paul Garnier, to produce the carriage clocks that were to be sold via his esteemed London retail establishments. However, he played a very important part in the history of clockmaking. To find out more about his involvement in making the great clock of Westminster (Big Ben) and the chronometer which accompanied Charles Darwin on HMS Beagle, amongst others, please follow this link - https://www.dentlondon.com/about/history.php Measurements 12.7 cm high (handle laying down) x 8.2 cm wide x 6.9 cm deep

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