96th Auction
2017/11/18
Lot 294
Bofenschen à Paris, Height 555 mm, circa 1800
An important precision table regulator with quarter hour/hour strike, perpetual calandar and jumping centre seconds
Case: mahogany. Dial: enamel. Movm.: circular brass full plate movement, 2 hammers / 2 bells, 2 barrels, pin wheel escapement, heavy and fine compensation grid-iron pendulum with knife edge suspension.
The mechanism of the date indication allows for the different lengths of the months (28, 30 and 31 days) and moves to the correct date automatically - it follows the description by Moinet in his "Nouveau Traité Général d'Horlogie" Vol. 2, Ch. V, Table XLIV, Illus. 8 and 9. There is also an unusual mechanism for the central jumping second. The construction of the escapement as well as the transmission of the half seconds’ pendulum strikes to the jumping central seconds hand is unique and has never been mentioned in any specialist literature.
Bofenschen worked in Paris from around 1780, first at Rue Saint Honoré and then at the Boulevard du Temple, at the Rue Croix des Petits Champs and from 1813 at the Rue du Temple. Among other pieces he created night clocks and clocks playing organ music. Bofenschen also worked for Abraham Louis Breguet.
The clock was part of the famous auction "L'Art de L'Horlogerie en France" by Antiquorum in 1993, lot 212.
Provenance: Important Dutch private collection
An important precision table regulator with quarter hour/hour strike, perpetual calandar and jumping centre seconds
Case: mahogany. Dial: enamel. Movm.: circular brass full plate movement, 2 hammers / 2 bells, 2 barrels, pin wheel escapement, heavy and fine compensation grid-iron pendulum with knife edge suspension.
The mechanism of the date indication allows for the different lengths of the months (28, 30 and 31 days) and moves to the correct date automatically - it follows the description by Moinet in his "Nouveau Traité Général d'Horlogie" Vol. 2, Ch. V, Table XLIV, Illus. 8 and 9. There is also an unusual mechanism for the central jumping second. The construction of the escapement as well as the transmission of the half seconds’ pendulum strikes to the jumping central seconds hand is unique and has never been mentioned in any specialist literature.
Bofenschen worked in Paris from around 1780, first at Rue Saint Honoré and then at the Boulevard du Temple, at the Rue Croix des Petits Champs and from 1813 at the Rue du Temple. Among other pieces he created night clocks and clocks playing organ music. Bofenschen also worked for Abraham Louis Breguet.
The clock was part of the famous auction "L'Art de L'Horlogerie en France" by Antiquorum in 1993, lot 212.
Provenance: Important Dutch private collection
Sold
estimated
16.000—30.000 €
Price realized
16.000 €