Antique Bracket Clock by Desbois and Wheeler
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1790
This bracket clock features an eight-day duration movement with twin fusee and bell strike. The white arched dial is signed 'Desbois and Wheeler' and 'Grays Inn Passage', with Roman numerals, delicate iron hands, and a strike/silent feature located in the arch.
The clock is housed in a mahogany cabinet that includes a pad top, a brass handle, brass 'fish-scale' side frets, and brass OG feet. The glazed front door is framed by a brass surround. Desbois and Wheeler maintained premises at No 9 Gray’s Inn Passage in London. The clock is associated with the date circa 1790, within the period that the makers were active in Central London.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- circa 1790
- Type
- Bracket clock
- Maker
- Desbois and Wheeler
- Dial features
- Strike/silent in arch
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Movement duration
- 8-day
- Maker / attribution
- Desbois and Wheeler
- Location of premises
- No 9 Gray’s Inn Passage, London
Design
- Dial and Hands
- The clock face consists of an arched white dial marked with black Roman numerals for the hour chapters and a secondary circular dial within the arch for the strike/silent regulation. The dial is signed 'Desbois and Wheeler' with the location 'Grays Inn Passage' inscribed below the center. The time is indicated by a pair of delicate, shaped iron hands. The strike/silent function, which allows for the silencing of the bell mechanism, is operated via a lever in the arch. The dial is protected by a glazed front door featuring a brass surround.
- Visible features
- • White arched dial with Roman numerals • Brass fish-scale side frets • Strike/silent indicator in the dial arch
- Case and Attribution
- The exterior cabinet is constructed from mahogany and rests upon brass OG feet. The top of the case is styled as a pad top and features a brass carry handle. The door is hinged and secured within a brass frame. The manufacturer is identified as the partnership of Desbois and Wheeler, which operated between 1790 and 1835 from their workshop in Gray’s Inn Passage.
- Movement and Mechanism
- The internal mechanism is an eight-day duration, twin fusee movement designed to strike on a bell. The brass backplate of the movement is decorated with engraved bordering along its perimeter. Visible features of the movement assembly include the suspension of the pendulum and the hammer mechanism for the strike train. The movement is contained within a mahogany case, which is fitted with fish-scale brass side frets to allow sound to escape from the clock.
Identification
- Lot ID
- 1211
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The exact production date is approximate
- Research required: The specific movement caliber or serial number is not provided