95th Auction
2017/5/6
Lot 368
Ferdinand Berthoud à Paris, Height 1240 mm, circa 1780
A remarkable Louis XVI splendour pendulum wall clock, so called "Cartel d'applique", with centre seconds hand and pin-pallet escapement according to Pouzait - by one of the most prominent French makers - 14 days power reserve
Case: ormolu. Dial: enamel, signed "Valat" on the back side. Movm.: brass full plate movement.
This striking clock has the form of a pendulum. The dial sits on the "bob", the movement in the back is concealed. The bezel is decorated with a wreath of oak and ornamental buttons within a border of bead and reel. The blued steel rod is similarly ornamented and has a stylised bow at the top, concealing the knife edge suspension and another one just above the bob.
Even as a young man Ferdinand Berthoud’s skills were so outstanding that they drew the attention of Julien Le Roy; the two men worked together for a long time. Around 1745 Berthoud opened a workshop in the Rue Harlay and from 1756 on specialised on precision watches; in 1771 he invented the pivoted detent escapement chronometer escapement. It is likely that Abraham Louis Breguet also worked for Berthoud. Berthoud was purveryor to the court of King Louis XV as well as that of his grandson and successor Louis XVI.
In 1763 and 1766 Berthoud was sent to London to discover the workings of Harrison’s H4. He achieved fame for producing the French marine chronometer; in 1770 he was awarded the position of "Horloger mécanicien du Roi et de la Marine" (watchmaker to the king and the navy) He later became a member of the "Institut de France" and the "Royal Society". On July 17, 1804 Ferdinand Berthoud was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour; he died without issue after a short illness on June 20, 1897 in Groslay near Paris. He has a primary school in Paris named after him as well as streets in Couvet, Argenteuil, Groslay and Besançon.
A remarkable Louis XVI splendour pendulum wall clock, so called "Cartel d'applique", with centre seconds hand and pin-pallet escapement according to Pouzait - by one of the most prominent French makers - 14 days power reserve
Case: ormolu. Dial: enamel, signed "Valat" on the back side. Movm.: brass full plate movement.
This striking clock has the form of a pendulum. The dial sits on the "bob", the movement in the back is concealed. The bezel is decorated with a wreath of oak and ornamental buttons within a border of bead and reel. The blued steel rod is similarly ornamented and has a stylised bow at the top, concealing the knife edge suspension and another one just above the bob.
Even as a young man Ferdinand Berthoud’s skills were so outstanding that they drew the attention of Julien Le Roy; the two men worked together for a long time. Around 1745 Berthoud opened a workshop in the Rue Harlay and from 1756 on specialised on precision watches; in 1771 he invented the pivoted detent escapement chronometer escapement. It is likely that Abraham Louis Breguet also worked for Berthoud. Berthoud was purveryor to the court of King Louis XV as well as that of his grandson and successor Louis XVI.
In 1763 and 1766 Berthoud was sent to London to discover the workings of Harrison’s H4. He achieved fame for producing the French marine chronometer; in 1770 he was awarded the position of "Horloger mécanicien du Roi et de la Marine" (watchmaker to the king and the navy) He later became a member of the "Institut de France" and the "Royal Society". On July 17, 1804 Ferdinand Berthoud was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour; he died without issue after a short illness on June 20, 1897 in Groslay near Paris. He has a primary school in Paris named after him as well as streets in Couvet, Argenteuil, Groslay and Besançon.
Sold
estimated
40.000—55.000 €
Price realized
62.000 €