Ρολόι ταξιδιού αξιωματικού - Αντίκες - Gilt brass - 1800-1850 - Πρώιμο ρολόι αμαξιού

Remarkable Antique Travel Clock / Carriage Clock Signed L. Caïsso & Cie – Paris, Restoration Period (c. 1800–1835)

A rare and elegant cylindrical (“drum”) travel clock in gilt brass, characteristic of the late Empire and Restoration styles.

• Round case in chiselled and gilt brass, resting on three sculpted lion’s paw feet — highly expressive and decorative.
• Finely worked upper handle in the form of a coiled serpent, a symbolic and refined motif much favoured during this period.
• Back of the case adorned with a large openwork rosette set against original red velvet, enhancing the resonance of the striking mechanism.
• High-quality white enamel dial with Roman numerals for the hours and an outer minute track graduated in 5-minute intervals up to 60.
• Finely pierced and chiselled hands in an elegant ornamental style.
• Dial inscriptions: Upper: “L. Caïsso & Cie – 1, Bd de la Madeleine.” Lower, in fine cursive script: “Paris.”

Historical Context:
Louis Caïsso (L. Caïsso & Cie) was a Parisian clockmaker active in the early 19th century, established at a prestigious address: 1, Boulevard de la Madeleine, in the heart of one of Paris’s most elegant and commercial districts. At this time, Paris was the dominant centre of European luxury horology. Pieces signed Caïsso & Cie, often fitted with striking mechanisms, were prized for their quality and refined aesthetic.
This type of travel or bedside clock was designed to accompany journeys by stagecoach or to grace bourgeois and aristocratic interiors. It combines functionality — the movement very likely includes a striking complication — with the ornamentation characteristic of Empire/Restoration taste: lion’s paw feet, serpent handle, and openwork rosette.

Dimensions and Weight:
• Dial / clock diameter: 7.5 cm
• Total height (with handle): 13 cm
• Width: 9 cm
• Depth: 8 cm
• Weight: 728 g

Condition: Glass, hinge, handle, and feet all intact. A small chip is noted on the enamel dial at approximately the 6 o’clock position (visible in the photographs, consistent with the age of the piece). The movement has not been tested and will require servicing by a specialist clockmaker.

A collector’s piece of remarkable quality and rarity, suited to a discerning enthusiast or seasoned collector.
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