AntiqueFrenchBronzeFigural clock, signed by François Moreau

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:20 am     Post subject: AntiqueFrenchBronzeFigural clock, signed by François Moreau

This is a French mantel figural clock that is signed by Francois Moreau (François Clément Moreau, 1831-1865).

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It is one of the few clocks existing in the world signed by this sculptor.
The piece is in great condition and no damage has been noticed (exclude small breaks on marble on the left corner that were restored, see the picture).
The clock is running very well, the movement was recently disassembled by parts, cleaned, oiled, and tested properly by myself (I am a clock master with 20 years experience from clock masters dynasty).
The body of the clock is made from bronze with brown patina; the sculpture of the young woman is from bronze.
The clock is charming nicely in a half an hour and each hour (8 days works).
Dimensions: high – 13 ¾ in (35 cm), long – 10 ¾ in (27.5 cm), wide – 4 ¾ in (12 cm).
Francois Moreau was a French master who created beautiful bronze works during his short-lived career. Most known today are: "A youth with a bee" (was sold at Sotheby's in Amsterdam September 29, 2008), "Allégorie de la musique" (from Cannes de collections), "Figure Of A Fisherboy" (private collection), "Les victoires de l'aviation" (private collection).
The dial is signed by GAILLARD A POITIER, a master from Poitiers - a capital of Vienne province on West France (180 miles from Paris), city with rich battles and industry history, Roman ruins, second oldest University of France.
I find out name GAILLARD Jean-Marc in masters record book in Geneva under title:
(Peintre sur émail. Mentionné à Genève en 1857.
Horloger. Mentionné à Genève en 1862) that will be in translation from French:
“Painter on enamel. Mentioned in Geneva in 1857”.
In the same book five years later was written: “Watchmaker. Mentioned in Geneva in 1862.”
On the movement you can see signs: “JS”:
Balancier Mechanism Japy Frères et Cie "medal of honor 'Marking on the mechanism: left B Aureville, Lallier, patented SGDG 1230 bottom Japy Brothers and Co. 64
Bronze marking within the pendulum 56, JC.
This is sighn of Japy Freres et Cie, clock and watch factory, Beaucort France.
Japy Freres is the founder of the Japy industrial dynasty.
Fredric Japy 1749-1812 was a watchmaker and inventor of fixtures and machinery for the clock/watch making trade. The Japy Company held the top rank as a leading enterprise in the clock and watch making industry. Adolph Japy was very influential for the industrialized development for mass produced clocks/watches. A foundry, machine factory, produced also hardware. Adolph Japy, knighted and member of the French Legion of Honour was for several terms the major of the city of Beaucort, held many public offices, died in Paris 1897. The Japy clock movements are regarded of best French original clock making (quoting Karl Kochmann).
Due to massive production of in 19th century, a good number of Japy Freres antique mantle clocks and French Garniture set (mantel clock and candelabra set) can be seen not only in museums but also in private houses. They are also openly available in auction and antique houses and auction sites.
History started as early as 1777 when Frederick Japy began making clocks in his factory in the region of La Franche-Compte. Soon, the lone clock-maker established the clock-making company under his name in 1806. Together with his three sons they run the first ever rough watch movement factory in France. The family supplied raw movements or “ebauche” (incomplete watch movement) to some of the France’s notable craftsmen of his time. The company also supplied ebauches to Swiss watchmakers.
This trademark was registered in 1887. If you look at it closely you can see the stylized JFC (use a little imagination).
Frederic Japy was born in 1749 in Beaumont, France in the Franche-Comte region. This area is in eastern France and has Alsace to the north, Burgundy to the west, and has a long, 143-mile border with Switzerland. Japy was long interested in the clock-making industry in the Jura Mountains, and he began his career apprenticed to a Swiss clock maker. Eventually, he moved on to work with the inventor Jean-Jacques Jeanneret-Gris. It was this latter relationship that allowed Japy to invent his own machine tools, which over the years led to the mechanization of the clock-making industry in France.
Japy established the first factory to make rough watch movements in Beaumont in 1777. By 1780 he had more than 2,000 patterns and by 1806, that number had grown to almost 13,000. In 1806 he established Japy Freres with his three sons who continued to run the business after their father's death in 1812.
Born in town of Beaucourt in France, the clock-making company Japy Freres et Cie (also
known as Japy Freres) is one of the most famous collectible antique French clocks today.

In case you interested e-mail: rmsirott82@gmail.com
or call 347-276-9838