Lot 1233* - A206 Decorative Arts - jeudi, 21. septembre 2023, 10h00
ASTRONOMICAL TABLE CLOCK WITH SECONDS
Restauration, Paris circa 1820. The dial signed Hri Motel Hr de la Marine (Jean-François Henri Motel, from 1823 Horloger de la Marine).
Mahogany and blackened wood. Rectangular case, glazed on all sides, on a slightly wider base and brass feet. White enamel dial and gilt bezel. Fine blued hands. Brass armillary sphere, in part silver-plated and finely engraved with pole heights, longitudes of the celestial bodies, months and signs of the zodiac. The globe moves around the sun and is itself circled by the moon. Inscribed on a plaque: Sphère adoptée par le conseil Royal de l'instruction publique de France pour l'enseignement. Movement with scissor escapement and half-hour strike on bell. Compensating pendulum.
25.5 × 18 × 74.5 cm.
Slightly incomplete. Few scratches on the wood.
Provenance: Private collection, Switzerland.
Very finely crafted precision pendulum by Henri Motel, who was selected by Louis Berthoud as one of four candidates during his apprenticeship at the École des Arts et Métiers and trained as a watchmaker at the expense of the French state. After the death of Louis Berthoud (1813), Motel continued to work in his workshop and was also appointed "Horloger de la Marine" in 1823. He was known for his extremely elaborate and finely crafted, refined marine chronometers and astronomical clocks. In 1827, he received a silver medal therefor, with the remark, "...no one performs timekeeping as precisely as Motel." (Jean-Claude Sabrier, "Longitude at Sea in the time of Louis Berthoud and Henri Motel," Geneva 1993, p. 593ff).
The clocks by this outstanding watchmaker were and still are extremely sought after by collectors.
Provenance: Private collection, Switzerland.
Very finely crafted precision pendulum by Henri Motel, who was selected by Louis Berthoud as one of four candidates during his apprenticeship at the École des Arts et Métiers and trained as a watchmaker at the expense of the French state. After the death of Louis Berthoud (1813), Motel continued to work in his workshop and was also appointed "Horloger de la Marine" in 1823. He was known for his extremely elaborate and finely crafted, refined marine chronometers and astronomical clocks. In 1827, he received a silver medal therefor, with the remark, "...no one performs timekeeping as precisely as Motel." (Jean-Claude Sabrier, "Longitude at Sea in the time of Louis Berthoud and Henri Motel," Geneva 1993, p. 593ff).
The clocks by this outstanding watchmaker were and still are extremely sought after by collectors.
CHF 20 000 / 30 000 | (€ 20 620 / 30 930)
Vendu pour CHF 37 500 (frais inclus)