No.130.

31554C.BR
ISAAC DU HAMEL, LONDON. A RARE AND IMPRESSIVE MUSICAL AND QUARTER CHIMING CLOCK. CIRCA 1750.

The elaborate ebonised and brass bound bell top case has numerous engraved brass frets. It has caryatids to the front corners, nine pineapple finials and stands on bracket feet.

The brass breakarch dial has a finely matted centre with apertures for the false pendulum and date. The arch has subsidiary dials for strike/silent and chime/not chime and a sector indicating the eight tunes with a recessed plaque signed ‘Isaac Du Hamel, London.’

The three train fusee movement has a large pin barrel across the top of the back plate which plays eight tunes via 20 hammers on 10 bells. In between the plates is a small pin barrel with six hammers chiming the quarters. It has nine knopped pillars, a beautifully engraved back plate and verge escapement.

Height: 31" (79 cms.)

Isaac Du Hamel was a mid 18^th century clockmaker of French extraction about whom very little is known. His work, which speaks for itself, was always of the highest quality and we are aware of only a small number of clocks by him. His clocks and watches can be found in the best collections and the Royal Collection has some very fine examples of his family’s work.