96th Auction

2017/11/18

Lot 293

Jarossay & Cie. à Paris, Height 1500 mm, circa 1850
An of museum quality dead centre seconds long duration wall regulator with worm-screw train, constructed after the patents No. 215 from October 16, 1844 and 216 from July 31, 1847 - calculated power reserve of 3 years and 5 months
Case: walnut, marble back. Dial: enamel. Movm.: rectangular-shaped brass movement, two teeth barrels driving endless rope, pin wheel escapement, steel pendulum rod and brass bob, pendulum spring suspension with temperature compensation.
It seems that in the second half of the 19th century quite a few inventors were getting tired of all those gearwheels in clock movements: this is apparent from Nowman Micah Saati‘s American ship’s chronometer with worm drive based on a 1893 patent, or a German longcase clock by F. Schmidt in Germany; then there are Louis-Antoine Jarossay’s regulator clocks in Paris, which are probably the most successful examples of the kind. Some of Jarossay’s clocks were even produced in small editions - they hardly ever turn up on the market though.
Jarossay was probably born around 1780; her married in 1833 and started the company Jarossay & Cie., which was based at Rue 10 Valois Saint Honoré in Paris. He is regarded as an innovative maker who experimented extensively with worm gears. Jarossay died on February 13, 1859.
Using a worm gear instead of gearwheels in clocks intended to simplify production and also promised longer power reserves. The patent description infers that a power reserve of over three years may be possible with such a movement. A broad summary of these attempts - which were not such a striking success after all - is provided by Hans-F. Tölke in issues 5 and 6 of "Klassik Uhren" of 1994.

Sold

estimated
25.00050.000 €
Price realized
39.700 €