Czech / German travelling clock 1780s

[zedric]

After over a year without buying anything, I've splashed out on three clocks. This is the first to arrive, and came in today - it's a time, strike and alarm clock with fusee for the time side. It will run for one day, and is surprisingly light.

I've photographed it against a standard size carriage clock to give an indication of height.

these clocks were made across the Austro-Hungarian empire and in Germany, but as this came from an auction in the Czech Republic, it probably originates from there.

 

[rgmt79]

Nice clock, which auction house did you buy it from in Czech?

Richard

 

[P.Hageman]

Like that one very much. Beautifull clock it is.

 

[zedric]

Nice clock, which auction house did you buy it from in Czech?

Richard

It was called Antikvity Praha

 

[zedric]

Like that one very much. Beautifull clock it is.

Thanks - I have wanted one of this style of clock for a long time, and it is really interesting to see the differences between French and German style travelling clocks of this era

 

[zedric]

Couple of more things I've found on closer inspection - there is a repeat function and a hole for the repeat button in the case (top, right hand side as you look at the clock, towards the front) but the button to press for the repeat is missing.

The clock strikes on the hour, and has a single passing strike at the half hour, much like French clocks.

The decorative metal elements on the sides (see image 3 above) are silver, not dirty brass as I had first assumed.. The ones on the front of the case are gilt brass.

If anyone else has one of these, can you tell me how the case opens? I've unscrewed the feet at the bottom, and undone the only other screws I can see (which hold on the bell) but that doesn't allow me to remove the base and get into the case...

 

[Robert Gift]

View attachment 741704

Why no glass cover over the dial?
How is the alarm set?
Thank you.

 

[zedric]

No idea why they made them without glass over the dial, but they did with these, and with capucine clocks, and others...

The tail of the hour hand sets the alarm - turn the central disk to the time you want to wake

 

[zedric]

It's been a while, but I my curiosity got the better of me, and I finally got around to working out how the case is assembled on this one...

My initial assumption was that the feet unscrew, and then the movement would be accessible to be pulled out of the clock from the underside - I've had a few English carriage clocks like that. But that is not how this one comes apart...

Next thing to do was to unscrew the bell, since the two screws holding the bell were the only other fasteners visible from the outside of the case. This allowed me to remove the bell , but still the movement wouldn't pull out of the case. This had me stumped for a while.

Then I tried gently shaking the clock (not really recommended), and something finally came lose.

It turns out that the screws that hold the bell holder on also go through little clips that hold the side panels on (and which have a dual function of holding the glass in the side panel).



And if you try gently, once you've unscrewed the bell holder, you can then prise off the side panels (which are a friction fit to the front and back panels), allowing the back panel to be removed to access part of the movement.



It always surprises me the quality of the workmanship you get in things like balance cocks, even when they are not designed to be seen by anyone except other clockmakers who are servicing the clock.

Even the movement pillars are nicely made






Everything needs a good clean, but at least I can get access to the movement now...