TABLE CLOCK J. Leroux London Ca 1775 England

M&R22

TABLE CLOCK
Signed: J. Leroux London Charing Cross
Circa 1775
England

Movement
The spring-driven double fusee brass movement consists of going and striking trains. The going train has verge escapement with short pendulum. The striking indicates the hours fully on a bell and has trip repeat so that the last hour struck can be repeated at all times by pulling a cord. In addition, the striking can be switched on or off with a handle in the arch (strike/silent). The backplate is profusely engraved depicting a vase, as well as scroll and leaf motifs around a cartouche with the signature of the maker: J. Leroux London.

Dial
The arched dial has a silvered chapter ring with Roman hour, half-hour, Arabic five-minute and minute divisions. There is a date aperture above the VI. The time is indicated by a fine pair of pierced blued steel hands. In the arch is a silvered strike /silent ring with a blued-steel hand. The centre is matted and has above the middle a false-pendulum aperture. The time is indicated by a pair of pierced blued-steel hands. The maker has signed the dial on a plaque below the middle: J. Leroux Charing Cross. The corners are embellished by open-work spandrels. Similar specially shaped spandrels flank the strike/silent ring.

Case
The ebonised pearwood veneered oak case has a so-called three pad top. The sides have glazed windows, so that the movement is almost entirely visible. The case is surmounted by a carrying handle. The moulded door has an arched glass panel and can be opened with a key. The backdoor is also glazed and allows the engraved backplate to be admired. The whole rests on four ebonised pearwood feet. On the bottom is a retailer’s sticker, showing he was an optician and a repairer.

Duration 1 week

Height 39 cm.
Width 23.5 cm.
Depth 16 cm.

Price € 16000

Literature
Brian Loomes, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World, London, 2006, p. 478.
The maker
John Leroux was active as a clockmaker in Charing Cross, London and was a member of the Clockmakers’ Company from 1781 to 1808. He was an important maker, and a number of his clocks are part of museum collections. He was succeeded by James Rigby.