William Evans of Handsworth a Rare Skeleton Clock with Coup Perdu Detent Escapement

An English skeleton clock of scroll design, the eight-day duration single-fusee movement is inverted within the plates to allow for the detent escapement to run a subsidiary seconds dial utilising the coup perdu detent escapement with an Evans pewter bob to the wood-rod pendulum.

The shaped silvered chapter ring is of typical Evans design and has black Roman numerals.

See Derek Roberts, British Skeleton Clocks, pub. Antique Collectors Club 1987, fig. 3/63a describing a near-identical scroll framed example as used by Evans to utilise his detent escapement which Derek described as:

Evans detent escapement was introduced in circa 1860 firstly to some of the Scott Memorial clocks and later to an attractive scroll design with a floral influence (as this example). Because of the design of the escapement the train was inverted and thus a large seconds ring appeared at the bottom half of the dial. The escape wheel, as on a chronometer, is released only every other beat (coup perdu) and therefore full seconds are recorded on the dial even though the pendulum is beating half-seconds.

Contained in a mahogany showcase with glazed front.

In 1805 Boulton & Watt, of the Soho Foundary situated in the Birmingham district of Handsworth decided to discontinue the manufacture of clocks. They gave that side of the business to their previous foreman John Houghton who, having set up in Soho Street, decided to call his business The Soho Clock Factory, where he was joined by his son-in-law William Frederick Evans. Evans succeeded his father-in-law in 1843 following the latters retirement. Itwas then that the well-knwn Evans skeleton clocks started to be produced including the famous Scott Memorial skeleton clock made to be shown on his stand at the 1851 Great Exhibition and which proved so popular that he begun to create a smaller version for general sale.

For a further history of Evans see Derek Roberts, pages 142-156 where his standing in the history of skeleton clock design and making is discussed as well as the manufacture of specialist examples such as The Scott Memorial clock and the various 'cathedral' clocks such as the York Minster and the substantial Westminster Abbey pieces.

Leigh Extence offers for sale antique clocks that are fully researched and validated.

Leigh is acknowledged as the world's leading expert on French carriage clocks of the 19th century and has lectured both home and abroad on the subject for over ten years.

He has had many papers published on the subject and his research is used by many of the leading auction houses in their descriptions.

Research Articles and Exhibition Catalogues are available to view on our website:

www.extence.co.uk

Unless otherwise stated, all clocks have been fully overhauled and are guaranteed as such.