268. $300
Vincenti & Cie crystal regulator with champlevé,ca. 1880. An 18-inch by 12-inch heavy brass case with champlevé trim around the top, door frame, column plinths, and feet. How do I know it’s champlevé and not cloisonné? The width of the brass dividers between the pockets of enamel varies with champlevé,
whereas in cloisonné wires are used to form the pockets and so the dividers are consistent in width. As you might expect, applying
either technique is a time-consuming process. The brass case shows some tarnish and spots of oxidation and there are four thick
beveled glasses (the rear glass has a chipped corner). The 5-inch porcelain dial has one small chip, repaired, below the strike
arbor and the hands are appropriate. The signed pendule de Paris movement is wound tight and I can’t get it to run, but it will
strike on the small cathedral gong when I move the hands around the dial. The two-vial pendulum contains mercury. An impressive
French crystal regulator by one of the top clockmakers of the period. $300–$900.
Antique American Clocks JANUARY 2025