Empire gilt bronze four-column regulator mantel clock attributed to Destigny
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1815
This Empire-period portico regulator mantel clock, dated by the dealer to circa 1815, is constructed in gilt bronze with four columns carrying an entablature and resting on a rectangular base with four flattened spherical feet.
The circular white enamel dial features black Roman hour numerals, minute markers, and inner markings, flanked by three winding apertures and blued steel hands. The movement features a pin escapement (échappement à chevilles), knife-edge suspension, and a heavy compensated steel and brass gridiron pendulum ticking half-seconds, providing a reported 21-day power reserve. The dealer reports the enameler inscribed Destigny on the dial reverse, attributing the work to Pierre Daniel Destigny.
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
- Type
- Regulator mantel clock
- Height
- 53 cm
- Weight
- 14.9 kg
- Escapement
- Pin escapement (échappement à chevilles)
- Suspension
- Knife-edge suspension
- Power Reserve
- 21-day
- Place recorded
- France
- Maker Attribution
- Pierre Daniel Destigny
- Maker / attribution
- Pierre Daniel Destigny
Design
- Visible features
- • Architectural portico case crafted in gilt bronze with four columns supporting an upper pediment adorned with an applied ribbon-and-rosette mount. • Circular white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, inner concentric markings, and three winding apertures, surrounded by an engine-turned bezel. • Central blued steel hands including a sweep center seconds hand. • Substantial gridiron pendulum with visible polished brass and steel rods and a large circular pendulum bob. • Stepped rectangular base bordered along the top edge by a stylized foliate frieze and resting on four flattened spherical feet.
- Architectural Construction
- This Empire-period regulator mantel clock features a four-column portico-style case executed in gilt bronze, resting on four flattened spherical feet. The upper portion includes a pedimented entablature, and the structure is supported by columns featuring Ionic capitals. The base is decorated with a frieze. The clock stands 53 cm in height and incorporates a heavy compensated gridiron pendulum constructed of brass and steel with an oval section intended to reduce air friction.
- Dial and Timekeeping Mechanism
- The white enamel dial features black Roman numerals, perimeter minute markers, and supplementary half-second markings. It is equipped with blued steel hands, including a central sweep seconds hand identified by the source as a 19th-century replacement. The movement utilizes a pin escapement (échappement à chevilles) and a knife-edge (couteau) suspension system. The assembly is reported to have a 21-day power reserve and records half-second intervals.
- Attribution and Maintenance History
- The clock is attributed to Pierre Daniel Destigny based on an inscription found on the reverse of the dial. While a space for a signature remains visible beneath the numeral 6 on the front of the dial, only faint traces are present; the source suggests the original signature may have been applied cold. The movement contains various annotations documenting maintenance, including servicing in 1818, 1865, and 1897.
Identification
- Reference
- 1523992
- 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: Source notes the sweep second hand is a 19th-century replacement rather than original.
- Research required: The front signature beneath the numeral 6 has faded, leaving only traces, though the reverse of the dial carries an enamel signature.