Nr. 72 CUM
An extremely rare 11-inch Comtoise annual clock, circa 1850/55, with pinwheel escapement (Amant) and a single-piece embossed brass decorative plate depicting Chronos and the Parcae.
The one-year running duration is achieved through a gear train with six wheels (monthly clocks have five wheels, and 8-day clocks have four wheels). Between the winding wheel and the great wheel, a long front axle accommodates the intermediate wheel to transmit motion to the minute wheel. As a result, the minute wheel is mounted higher, not centered in the cage. Consequently, the decorative plate is shifted upwards, and the normal 11-inch plate does not fit the 11-inch cage. Thus, the bottom edge required to fully cover the front is missing. The lower 1–2 cm consist of plain brass sheet, which was not trimmed from the embossed decorative plate.
The necessary weights exceed 25 kg each and can only be supported by steel cables.
In Armand Morel's 1890 catalog (see Appendix I), a one-year Comtoise clock is listed for 400 francs on page 1, though no illustration is provided.
The clock shown here is from an earlier period.
Cage dimensions: 313 x 272 x 170 mm (HxWxD)
Movement dimensions: 465 x 275 x 195 mm (HxWxD)
Pendulum length: 1265 mm
