A GEORGE I EBONISED BRACKET CLOCK

A GEORGE I EBONISED BRACKET CLOCK

BY SIMON DE CHARMES, LONDON, C.1720

the brass eight day single fusee repeating movement with a verge escapement, striking on one bell and repeating on two bells, the backplate with extensive engraved scrolling foliate decoration around a basket of fruit, on a brass dial with a silvered chapter ring with black Roman hours, fleur-de-lys half hours and Arabic five minutes, the matted centre with a silvered flowerhead false pendulum, the back of the aperture inscribed 'S. de Charmes, London', and a date aperture, beneath a silvered regulator dial to the arch, inside scrolling foliate and mask spandrels, the case with a bell top, brass handle and silk backed sound frets, with a pendulum

41.5cm high

Catalogue Note

Simon De Charmes was a French Huguenot who arrived in London after the revocation of the Edicts of Nantes in 1685. He quickly established himself as a clock and watch maker at the ‘Sign of the Clock’ in Charing Cross. He was first recorded in 1688 and was granted freedom from the Clockmakers’ Company in 1691, working closely with other makers including Claude Du Chesne.

For examples of Simon De Charmes work being sold at auction, see Bonhams, 12th December 2006, Fine Clocks, lot 94, and 14 December 2016, Fine Clocks, lot 98. For published examples see Cescinsky & Webster, English Domestic Clocks, p.279 Figs. 299, and 300 that shows a similarly engraved backplate and border. Others are illustrated in Richard C.R. Barder, The Georgian Bracket Clock, pls. I/3, VII/17 and colour pl. 3.