TABLE CLOCK Cha’Lowndes Pall Mall Ca. 1695 England

M&R17

TABLE CLOCK
Signed: Cha’Lowndes Pall Mall
Circa 1695
England

Movement
The spring-driven double-fusee brass movement consists of going and striking trains. The going train has verge escapement with short pendulum and knife-edge suspension. The striking indicates the hours fully on a bell and the half hours on a smaller bell. The backplate is profusely engraved depicting leaf and floral motifs around a cartouche with the signature of the maker Cha’ Lowndes Pall Mall.

Dial
The square dial has a silvered chapter ring with Roman hour, half-hour, quarter-hour, 7½-minute, Arabic five-minute and minute divisions. There is a date aperture under the XII, whilst above it is a strike/silent lever. The time is indicated by a fine pair of pierced and sculpted blued steel hands. The centre is matted. The corners of the dial are embellished by pierced spandrels in the shape of a winged-cherub heads. The maker has signed the movement at the bottom of the chapter ring VI Cha’ Lowndes Pall Mall.

Case
The ebonised fruitwood veneered oak case has a so-called domed top and glazed panels to the sides. The dome is embellished by gilt cast-brass ornaments and is surmounted by a gilt-brass carrying handle. The whole rests on four gilt-brass bun feet

Duration 1 week

Height 33 cm. (incl. handle 38 cm.)
Width 24 cm.
Depth 15.5 cm.

Literature
Brian Loomes, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World, London, 2006, p. 495.

The maker
Charles Lowndes was active as a clockmaker in St Martin in the Fields, later on Pall Mall, Westminster, London. He was a member of the Clockmakers’ Company from1682 to 1724. He was probably the brother of Jonathan Lowndes, who was also based on Pall Mall.