What is a Pendule dOfficier clock?

Originally designed in late 18th-century France for military officers, a Pendule dOfficier is a compact, portable table clock typically featuring a decorative top handle and housed in a gilt metal casing.

What materials are traditionally used in antique French ormolu clocks?

These clocks are crafted from cast bronze or brass treated with mercury gilding (ormolu), featuring a fired enamel dial face, steel clock hands, and brass gear movements.

How can you identify authentic 18th or 19th-century French clocks?

Authentic period clocks feature heavy hand-cast metal cases with hand-chiselled detailing, mercury gilding wear, dual winding holes on a genuine enamel dial, and stamped maker marks or serial numbers on the movement plate.

How do you style a French ormolu clock in a modern interior?

Place the timepiece centrally on a fireplace mantelpiece, marble console table, or dark wood executive desk to create an elegant Neoclassical focal point.

How should antique gilt bronze ormolu clocks be cleaned and maintained?

Dust the gilded surface gently using a soft, dry camel-hair brush, avoiding abrasive chemical cleaners or liquids that can damage the gilding, and have the mechanical movement serviced periodically by a professional horologist.

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Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

Name: Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1233396
Price: 2450 GBP
Availability: InStock

1900 - 1920

For Sale by Dragon-Antiques.com

Description

~ French - Circa 1900 ~

~~ Excellent condition, fully overhauled ~~

A fine and beautifully proportioned late 19th century French ormolu Pendule d’Officier clock, conceived in the elegant Louis XVI taste and retaining a wonderfully rich gilt finish. The handsome architectural case is finely cast and chased in gilt bronze, its stepped and sloping upper section enriched with finely modelled floral garlands and classical ornament.

Surmounting the clock is the classic ouroboros carrying handle, modelled as a serpent consuming its own tail. An ancient symbol of eternity and the endless cycle of renewal, the ouroboros is particularly appropriate when employed upon a timepiece, providing an elegant allegory for the eternal and unbroken passage of time. The serpent is finely cast and chased, rising from an elaborate foliate mount which forms the architectural cresting of the case.

The circular white porcelain enamel dial is painted with elegant black Arabic numerals and a finely delineated outer minute track. A particularly attractive pair of finely pierced and chased gilt-bronze hands indicate the time. The dial is protected by a convex glass, set within a finely finished gilt-bronze bezel.

Of particular note is the exceptional quality of the ormolu case. The sides are mounted with wonderfully bold floral rosettes, deeply modelled amongst scrolling foliage, whilst the lower section is enriched with further finely chased foliate ornament. The quality of the casting and chasing gives tremendous depth and definition to the decoration, contrasting beautifully with the broad polished surfaces of the case. The clock is raised upon four turned gilt-bronze feet.

The clock is fitted with a good quality French Pendule de Paris movement, striking the hours and half-hours by means of a rack-striking mechanism. It is in excellent clean and running condition having been fully overhauled by our clockmaker. The movement is regulated by a jewelled lever platform escapement, a later replacement. We have a video of the clock, please ask and we will send you a link.

The Pendule d’Officier, or "officer's clock", originated in France during the late eighteenth century as a luxurious portable timepiece. Combining the practicality of a travelling clock with the sumptuous materials and workmanship of the finest Parisian decorative arts, the form became an object of considerable prestige and an important precursor to the nineteenth-century carriage clock.

During the later nineteenth century French makers returned to the celebrated designs of the Louis XVI and Empire periods, producing clocks of exceptional quality inspired by their eighteenth-century predecessors. This particularly handsome example captures that earlier aesthetic beautifully, combining restrained architectural form with richly chased ormolu, classical symbolism and a sophisticated jewelled platform escapement.

The condition of the case is excellent. The gilding is beautifully bright and clean, with only slight wear to the high points of the ornament and to the ouroboros carrying handle, entirely consistent with age and use. The porcelain enamel on copper dial is in excellent condition, retaining a beautifully clean appearance. The rear glass has some slight nibbles to the edge.

Complete with a suitable key.

Dimensions of clock:

inches: Height 8 1/2", Width 5 1/4", Depth 4 1/4"

centimetres:Height 21.5 cm, Width 13.5 cm, Depth 11 cm

Shipping within UK £20

Shipping to USA / Europe £50 by air fully insured

World wide shipping - £65 by air fully insured

Physical Dimensions

Height

21.5cm (8.46")

Width

13.5cm (5.31")

Depth

11cm (4.33")

Declaration

Dragon-Antiques.com has dated this French Ormolu Officer Clock to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1233396

Dealers Internal Reference

RSC3854

Dealers Notes

Email Julie now to reserve this item! .

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World wide shipping by air fully insured. Please see our website for more pictures and video - http://www.Dragon-Antiques.com

Description

~ French - Circa 1900 ~

~~ Excellent condition, fully overhauled ~~

“

A fine and beautifully proportioned late 19th century French ormolu Pendule d’Officier clock, conceived in the elegant Louis XVI taste and retaining a wonderfully rich gilt finish.

Dragon-Antiques.com

The handsome architectural case is finely cast and chased in gilt bronze, its stepped and sloping upper section enriched with finely modelled floral garlands and classical ornament.

fig 1. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 1. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

Surmounting the clock is the classic ouroboros carrying handle, modelled as a serpent consuming its own tail. An ancient symbol of eternity and the endless cycle of renewal, the ouroboros is particularly appropriate when employed upon a timepiece, providing an elegant allegory for the eternal and unbroken passage of time. The serpent is finely cast and chased, rising from an elaborate foliate mount which forms the architectural cresting of the case.

fig 2. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 2. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

The circular white porcelain enamel dial is painted with elegant black Arabic numerals and a finely delineated outer minute track. A particularly attractive pair of finely pierced and chased gilt-bronze hands indicate the time. The dial is protected by a convex glass, set within a finely finished gilt-bronze bezel.

fig 3. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 3. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

Of particular note is the exceptional quality of the ormolu case. The sides are mounted with wonderfully bold floral rosettes, deeply modelled amongst scrolling foliage, whilst the lower section is enriched with further finely chased foliate ornament. The quality of the casting and chasing gives tremendous depth and definition to the decoration, contrasting beautifully with the broad polished surfaces of the case. The clock is raised upon four turned gilt-bronze feet.

fig 4. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 4. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

The clock is fitted with a good quality French Pendule de Paris movement, striking the hours and half-hours by means of a rack-striking mechanism. It is in excellent clean and running condition having been fully overhauled by our clockmaker. The movement is regulated by a jewelled lever platform escapement, a later replacement. We have a video of the clock, please ask and we will send you a link.

fig 5. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 5. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

The Pendule d’Officier, or "officer's clock", originated in France during the late eighteenth century as a luxurious portable timepiece. Combining the practicality of a travelling clock with the sumptuous materials and workmanship of the finest Parisian decorative arts, the form became an object of considerable prestige and an important precursor to the nineteenth-century carriage clock.

fig 6. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 6. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

During the later nineteenth century French makers returned to the celebrated designs of the Louis XVI and Empire periods, producing clocks of exceptional quality inspired by their eighteenth-century predecessors. This particularly handsome example captures that earlier aesthetic beautifully, combining restrained architectural form with richly chased ormolu, classical symbolism and a sophisticated jewelled platform escapement.

fig 7. An antique French gilt bronze ormolu officer clock with a ribbon top handle, decorative floral swags, and a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals. — fig 7. Antique French Ormolu Pendule D'officier Clock - Fully Restored and Working

The condition of the case is excellent. The gilding is beautifully bright and clean, with only slight wear to the high points of the ornament and to the ouroboros carrying handle, entirely consistent with age and use. The porcelain enamel on copper dial is in excellent condition, retaining a beautifully clean appearance. The rear glass has some slight nibbles to the edge.