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ID #SA1188418
FOR SALE
£3,095
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A 19th Century Novelty Desk Compendium in the Form of a Davy Lamp by Guilmet
For sale by Chalfont Clocks
for sale €3,621     $3,931
£3,095

Chalfont Clocks

Sellingantiques Verified Since Nov 2021
Browse dealers 61 items
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A 19th Century Novelty Desk Compendium in the Form of a Davy Lamp by Guilmet

19th century
For Sale by Chalfont Clocks
Description

A 19th century novelty desk compendium in the form of a davy lamp housing an eight day timepiece and aneroid barometer and a thermometer surmounted by a glazed cylindrical chamber with a compass mounted within. The extremely heavy brass case is supported on turned bun feet. This clock was designed in the 1890’s by André Romaine Guilmet.

André Romain Philéas Guilmet was an obsessive inventor who took out many patents for designs, both horological and others. It was Guilmet who in 1868, in collaboration with Edouard Meyer, first placed a driving chain on a bicycle, set below the seat to drive the rear wheels, and so produced the first bicycle powered in the method that is standard on all machines.

Guilmet is recorded as not just an horologer, but also a bijoutier (jeweller) and doreur (gilder). Under the entry for Doreurs in the 1861 almanach he is described thus: horologer, bijouterie, orfeverie argentes de la maison Christolfe, Fbg-St. Martin, 103 et 108; an horologer, jeweller and silversmith supplying the well-known Parisian jewellers and silversmiths, the Maison Christolfe; The additional entry under Horologers describing him as a clockmaker only. Guilmet was an active member of the Chambre Syndicale, along with A.H. Rodanet, Paul Garnier and other well-known horologists. (Derek Roberts).

p258, Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks, Derek Roberts 1999.

Physical Dimensions
Height
24cm (9.45")
Width
13cm (5.12")
Depth
13cm (5.12")
Declaration

Chalfont Clocks has dated this Guilmet Davy Lamp Clock to the 1890s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1188418
Dealers Internal Reference
406
Dealers Notes

All of our clocks come with a 2 year guarantee, all of our clocks are overhauled and sympathetically restored, all of our clocks are authentic and supplied in good original condition.

Description
A 19th century novelty desk compendium in the form of a davy lamp housing an eight day timepiece and aneroid barometer and a thermometer surmounted by a glazed cylindrical chamber with a compass mounted within. The extremely heavy brass case is supported on turned bun feet. This clock was designed in the 1890’s by André Romaine Guilmet.
“
André Romain Philéas Guilmet was an obsessive inventor who took out many patents for designs, both horological and others.
Chalfont Clocks

It was Guilmet who in 1868, in collaboration with Edouard Meyer, first placed a driving chain on a bicycle, set below the seat to drive the rear wheels, and so produced the first bicycle powered in the method that is standard on all machines.

fig 1. A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring.
fig 1. A 19th Century Novelty Desk Compendium in the Form of a Davy Lamp by Guilmet

Guilmet is recorded as not just an horologer, but also a bijoutier (jeweller) and doreur (gilder). Under the entry for Doreurs in the 1861 almanach he is described thus: horologer, bijouterie, orfeverie argentes de la maison Christolfe, Fbg-St. Martin, 103 et 108; an horologer, jeweller and silversmith supplying the well-known Parisian jewellers and silversmiths, the Maison Christolfe; The additional entry under Horologers describing him as a clockmaker only. Guilmet was an active member of the Chambre Syndicale, along with A.H. Rodanet, Paul Garnier and other well-known horologists. (Derek Roberts).

p258, Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks, Derek Roberts 1999.

Height
24cm (9.45")
Width
13cm (5.12")
Depth
13cm (5.12")
Date of Manufacture

Chalfont Clocks has dated this Guilmet Davy Lamp Clock to the 1890s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1188418
Dealers Internal Ref
406
Chalfont Clocks
Sellingantiques verified Since Nov 2021

Specialists in antique clocks and their restoration.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Chalfont Clocks Profile Page

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A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring.
1 / 7
Archive I A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring.

A 19th Century Novelty Desk Compendium in the Form of a Davy Lamp by Guilmet

Archive II A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View III
Archive IV A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View IV
Archive V A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View V
Archive VI A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View VI
Archive VII A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring. View VII
Enlarged Archival View

Chalfont Clocks
Telephone 01494 763 793
Location
Chalfont Station Road
Little Chalfont
Buckinghamshire
HP7 9PN
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/chalfontclocks
Verified Since Nov 2021
Items For Sale 61
Items Sold 81
Chalfont Clocks
Verified Since Nov 2021
View Dealer Info
Location: Chalfont Station Road, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PN, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/chalfontclocks
Verified
Nov 2021
For Sale
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A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring.
A 19th Century Novelty Desk Compendium in the form of a Davy Lamp By Guilmet
Ref: SA1188418
A nineteenth-century brass desk compendium designed in the form of a miner safety lamp, featuring a central clock dial with Roman numerals and a top suspension ring.
Detail View 1
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Detail View 6
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectDesk Clocks
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian Novelty
  • MaterialBrass, Glass
  • ColourBrass
  • MotifsDavy lamp form, Roman numeral dial, Ring handle top, Turned brass columns
  • SizeH 24 cm (9 in) x W 13 cm (5 in) x D 13 cm (5 in)

This nineteenth-century desk compendium takes the form of a brass Davy miner's safety lamp, designed in the Victorian novelty style by André Romaine Guilmet during the 1890s. The heavy brass case displays a polished finish with turned bun feet at the base, four vertical turned brass columns supporting the upper body, and a circular ring handle positioned at the top of the glazed cylindrical chamber. A white dial with black Roman numerals is set into the centre of the main body, accompanied by traditional spade hands and a subsidiary dial. Measuring 24 cm high, 13 cm wide, and 13 cm deep, the timepiece is suited for placement on an office desk, library table, or study mantelpiece in a traditional interior. The architectural framework incorporates visible screws, horizontal moulded bands encircling the cylindrical body, and side housing drums that contain additional instrumentation. Its compact footprint allows for straightforward positioning within a workspace while providing a functional horological instrument and decorative talking point.

FAQs

A novelty desk compendium is a multifunctional horological object from the late nineteenth century that integrates a timepiece alongside other instruments, often fashioned in industrial or mechanical forms.

These horological pieces were typically constructed using cast and turned brass, polished bronze, bevelled glass panels, and silvered dials housing precise mechanical movements.

Authentic pieces by this maker usually feature stamped movement plates, precise mechanical execution of industrial motifs, and high-grade brass finishing with traditional Roman numeral dials.

Position the piece on an office desk, library bureau, or bookshelf alcove to serve as a focal point that introduces mechanical history into a contemporary setting.

Dust the metal surfaces regularly with a soft dry cloth, avoid abrasive chemical polishes that strip original lacquers, and have the internal movement serviced by a professional horologist.
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