Robert & Courvoisier

The well-cast and finished matt and burnished ormolu case has numerous decorative mounts that include pilasters to the corners, horns of plenty, musical trophies and paw feet.

The white porcelain dial has black Arabic numbers for the hours, Arabic 15-minute marks, asymmetrical winding arbors, Breguet-style minute and hour hands, a steel alarm hand and is elaborately signed, ‘Robert & Courvoisier’.

The one-day movement is typically Swiss with the strike-work and balance wheel planted on the backplate. It strikes grand-sonnerie on stacked bells, has the strike control lever out the base and a repeat cord out the side. The pull alarm is wound by a cord out the top, is set at the dial and strikes on a bell. The brass balance wheel has steel endcaps and is regulated by a squared arbor that carries a steel hand against an engraved scale.

The firm ‘Robert & Courvoisier’ was initially named ‘J. Robert et Fils et Cie’ and was established in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland by Louis Robert and Louis Courvoisier – each from very prominent multi-generational Swiss clock making families. In 1787 Robert’s widow took over his half and the firm became ‘Robert & Courvoisier’ until 1805 when it was renamed ‘Robert, Courvoisier et Cie’.

For additional information on early travel clocks see: ‘Carriage Clocks’, Allix, Chapter 1.