HEXAGONAL TABLE CLOCK Johann Gottlieb Kriedel Juniur Cotbus Circa 1750 Germany

M&R213

HEXAGONAL HORIZONTAL TABLE CLOCK
Signed: Johann Gottlieb Kriedel Juniur Cotbus
Circa 1750
Germany

Movement:
The spring-driven brass movement is constructed between hexagonal plates and consists of going, quarter-striking and alarm trains. The going train has a spring barrel with chain fusee, verge escapement with balance and hairspring, and regulation using a silvered disc. The balance is situated under a richly pierced and engraved cock. The rack striking indicates the hours with one hammer and the quarter hours with two hammers on a bell. The striking also has a repeat, which allows the last struck hour and quarter hours to be repeated on request. Finally, the movement has an alarm. The maker signed the clock on the backplate: Johann Gottlieb Kriedel Juniur Cotbus.

Dial:
The clock has a circular silver champlevé dial with Roman hour, Roman quarter-hour, Arabic five-minute and minute divisions. The time is indicated by two blued-steel hands. In the centre of the dial is a silver champlevé alarm disc with Arabic hour numerals and half-hour divisions.

Case:
The hexagonal gilt-brass case has six windows with silvered frames to the sides. At the bottom there is a lid in which the bell is housed. It can be opened by means of a catch. The frames, the bottom edge of the case and the hexagonal gilt-brass top of the clock, on which the round silver dial is mounted, are decorated with engraved and chased fan and scroll motifs. The clock rests on six silvered scroll feet.

Duration: 24 hours

Height: 7.5 cm.
Diameter: 10.2cm.

Literature: J. Abeler, Meister der Uhrmacherkunst, p. 365.

The maker:
Johann Gottfried Kriedel, also spelled Kridell or Krid, was born in 1702 in Bautzen, near Dresden, and became a clockmaker. Around 1754 he worked in Cottbus. He died in 1757.