Gioachino Alberti brass skeleton clock with constant force escapement
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1834
This Italian brass skeleton clock is documented as invented and made by Gioachino Alberti in Milan, dated 1834. The frame is engraved 'Gioachimo Alberti Invento, e Fece nel 1834' and mounted via four levelling screws on a shaped marble base.
According to the catalogue description, the two-train movement features a striking train with a spring barrel, outside count wheel, and bell, while the going train is powered by two suspended brass weights operating on a single barrel. The mechanism includes a weight-driven constant force escapement with a four-leg escape wheel acting on a five-bar gridiron half-seconds pendulum.
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
- Dial
- 4¼-inch dial with open centre and centre seconds
- Type
- Skeleton clock
- Signature
- Signed Gioachimo Alberti Invento, e Fece nel 1834
- Dimensions
- Clock 55 cm (21¾ inches) high
- Maker and Date
- Gioachino Alberti, Milan, dated 1834
- Place recorded
- Italy
- Maker / attribution
- Gioachino Alberti
Design
- Visible features
- • Two large cylindrical brass weights are suspended via pulleys from horizontal upper brackets. • A white enamel chapter ring with Roman numerals displays an open centre revealing the wheelwork. • The lower horizontal frame member bears the engraved inscription 'Gioachimo Alberti Invento, e Fece nel 1834'. • The clock mechanism rests on four knurled levelling screws over a shaped white marble plinth.
- Identity and Inscription
- Catalogued as the work of Gioachino Alberti in Milan and dated to 1834, the clock is catalogued as the 'Property of a distinguished Italian collector'. The brass skeleton frame is inscribed on its lower structure. The inscription identifies the maker and date, reading 'Gioachimo Alberti Invento, e Fece nel 1834' on the substantial but simple frame.
- Frame, Base, and Dimensions
- The clock mechanism is built within an open brass skeleton frame that rests upon four knurled levelling screws over a shaped white marble plinth. According to the auction catalogue, the clock itself measures 55 cm (21¾ inches) high, and is accompanied by a modern glazed display cover measuring 62 cm (24¼ inches) high.
- Catalogue Documented Movement and Front Observations
- Visual observation confirms a white enamel chapter ring with Roman numerals and an open centre displaying the wheelwork, along with two large cylindrical brass weights suspended via pulleys from upper horizontal brackets. The catalogue states the two-train movement has a spring barrel, outside count wheel, and bell for the striking train, while the going train operates with two weights to a single barrel. It also records a four-leg escape wheel giving locking and impulse to a five-bar grid-iron half-seconds pendulum, with a spring escape detent mounted on the pendulum.
Identification
- 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 modern glazed display cover mentioned in the catalogue text is not shown in this photograph.
- Research required: The escapement geometry, pendulum, and striking components positioned to the rear are mostly obscured in this front view.