Louis XV style table clock; second third of the nineteenth century.

Louis XV style table clock; second third of the nineteenth century.

Gilded and patinated bronze. Enameled porcelain dial.
It has silk thread suspension and preserves pendulum.
It does not keep key.
Measurements: 42 x 32 x 19 cm.
This work follows the model of Jean Baptiste Baillon's clock known as "The Elephant", which is part of the National Heritage collection, Royal Palace of Madrid. Jean-Baptiste III Baillon (d. 1772), was one of the best manufacturers who supplied movements for these remarkable and rare clocks, including some with cases identical to the presemte. One was acquired for the Spanish royal collection, as noted above, another is in the Residenz in Bamberg and a third in the Residenz in Munich. Others include one from the collection of Lord Hillingdon sold in Paris in 1976.
A celebrity in his time, Baillon achieved almost unprecedented success to become, in the words of F.J. Britten "the richest watchmaker in Europe." He was also one of the most important watchmakers of the 18th century and certainly the most famous member of a long line of watchmakers. His phenomenal success was largely due to his ability to organize a vast and thriving manufacture on an unprecedented scale. His private factory at Saint-Germain-en-Laye is unique in the history of 18th century watchmaking. Run between 1748 and 1757 by Jean Jodin (1715-1761), it continued to operate until 1765, when Baillon closed it. The famous watchmaker Ferdinand Berthoud was one of the many who were impressed by its scale and quality, and in 1753 noted that the "House of Baillon is the finest and richest watchmaking".