99th Auction

2019/5/11

Lot 192

Joseph Knibb, London, Fecit, 290 mm, circa 1670
A small "Charles II" bracket clock of museum quality, with date indication and "Tic-Tac" escapement
Case: wood, brass mountings. Dial: brass chapter ring on gilt-brass plate, the corners with applied putti, signed. Movm.: narrow rectangular-shaped brass movement, florally engraved, signed, gut/fusee, lever escapement, brass pendulum.
The clock looks to be fine, and in a condition where it has not been through the trade for a long time. Timepiece only clocks by Knibb are rare, as are examples with Tic-Tac escapement. We cannot recall having seen a Knibb table clock of this simple configuration with tic-tac escapement; There are a few known with verge escapement and a number with repeating or alarm. The style of the case would initially appear to be later than the movement, but we think that is a bit of a red herring since there are movements by Knibb, Tompion and others which were probably in stock and cases a little later when a customer wanted a clock of a particular type. There are no signs of extra holes for retaining an alternative movement, the state of the clock is overall untouched.
In his book "Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World", Baillie calls Joseph Knibb (1640-1711) "one of the finest makers of lantern, longcase and bracket clocks"; Knibb was born in 1640 in Oxford and did his apprenticeship with his cousin Samuel Knibb in Newport Pagnell. Around 1670 he moved to London and became a member of the Clockmakers‘ Company. A supplier to the court of King Charles II, Knibb established himself as one of the leading clockmakers in London, alongside with Thomas Tompion. His table clocks and longcase clocks regularly achieve high prices at auctions worldwide.

estimated
30.00050.000 €
Price realized
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