An exceptionally fine rosewood chamfer top bracket clock by Alexander Purvis. Circa 1830.

A beautiful and small table clock with a silvered dial; the best I have ever seen.

Stock No:   14494

The 8 day duration, 5 knopped pillar, double gut fusee movement with Anchor Recoil escapement, rack and starwheel striking of the hours on a rear-mounted bell of good tone and shaped plates. Also having strike/silent selection, pendulum holdfast bracket, upper micrometer regulation to the substantial pendulum bob and the backplate carrying the maker's signature of "Purvis, North Audley St. London" in well executed engraved script.

Behind a 6 inch diameter, silvered brass dial with outer divided minute track, Roman hour numerals and exceptionally engraved maker's signature of "Purvis, North Audley St. London" above and below the dial centre. The strike/silent selector protrudes above the numeral XII and the finely cut, blued steel matching hands are 'open moon' in style.

Contained in a truly beautiful rosewood case of superb colour and figuring. The 2-tiered chamfer top carries a cast brass pineapple finial and the main trunk has a top Cavetto moulding above a short fluted frieze. The case front is squared around the cast brass locking bezel which has a bowed and bevelled 'snapped-in' glass. The chamfered side edges are inlaid with brass strip and the corners have brass inlay triangles with a central inlaid 4 leaf design. The lower panelled area to the case front has a rectangular brass inlay with a scrolled inlaid design within. Below this is a further short fluted frieze over a plain short skirt. The case sides have conforming mouldings and upper ringed cornucopia carrying handles above rectangular sound apertures with dark cloth-backed, cast brass, fishscale design frets. The case back has a full-size locking and glazed door and the case sits upon 4 cast brass 'ball-and-plate' feet.

Alexander Purvis is considered to be a fine maker. He was born in Kelso in the borders and worked from North Audley Street from 1828 until 1851.

* There is no doubt that this is an exceptional clock and of smaller size. I have not seen a better example and aesthetically I consider it to be perfect. The colour, quality and proportions speak for themselves and the movement is 'unmolested' yet neglected - it will be a joy to restore! I state with confidence that this example is probably the best that money can buy. If you are a 'collector' then this MUST be obtained by you because it is simply 'THE BEST,' rarely do I label an example 'perfect'. If this were a signed painting that just 'sits on the wall', it would have a value of £100,000!

If it is important to you to obtain the finest example possible of a certain clock, then this is the one for you because I did not realise such a perfect example existed, the maker was truly an 'old master' - beat this example if you can!

Dimensions:                  15 3/4" high x 9" wide x 6 1/2" deep.

Circa:                             1830.

Condition:                       The case is superb, sound, rich in colour and finely constructed, the bezel tab
                                       would benefit from being adjusted to ensure that it locks closer to the case. The
                                       dial is extremely good with exceptional engraving and I believe that it has never
                                       been re-silvered therefore would wish to leave it exactly as it is. The movement is
                                       neglected, exremely dirty, the gut lines are rotten but, this movement is totally
                                       unmolested! Rarely do I get to work on a movement that does not require remedial
                                       work before carrying out the usual overhauling. The signature on the backplate is
                                       superb and wax-filled.

Restored price:               £9,750. This will include full and meticulous restoration of the movement and bezel
                                       tab by myself.