Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood
Lot 912
Arsène Margaine, Paris, a pillared carriage clock: eight-day duration movement having a silvered platform lever escapement and striking the hours and half-hours on a gong, with push-button repeat of the last hour at will, the backplate stamped with the trademark for Margaine, the initials A.M. either side of a beehive, along with the serial number 11134, the inside of the movement plates stamped Margaine, the cream porcelain dial having black Roman numerals, a decorative centre of fleur-de-lys design in black and gilt, blued steel spade hands and signed for the retailer Dobson & Sons, London, the Anglaise case having fluted pillars with cast Corinthian capitals and a three-bail handle to the top, height 14cm/17.5cm (handle up/down) Complete with numbered winding key and box, the latter having a hand-written label within dated Decr. 25th 1893.
* Biography François Arsène Margaine was one of the foremost French carriage clock makers of the late 19th century; born in 1835 at Bouhans-lès-Montbozon he moved to Paris and married in 1865. He had numerous addresses in Paris during his working life but the most well-known were Rue Béranger, 22 from 1880, Rue Turrenne, 84 and finally Rue Bondy, 54 from 1904. As with his contemporary Alfred Drocourt, Margaine was much involved in the Parisian horological world at this time being a member of the Chambre Syndicale de l'Horlogerie de Paris and Vice President of the School of Horology, l'École d'Horlogerie de Paris. (Further reading: Thomas Wotruba, The Horological World of François Arsène Margaine, Antiquarian Horology, June 2014)