Fine Petite Sonnerie Carriage Clock

Here we have a fine, quarter chiming or ‘petite sonnerie’ carriage clock by ‘Drocourt’ for J.W.Benson.
The fine gilded gorge case is of slightly smaller than average size. The dial is near perfect and free of any chips but with a very faint hairline to the top right corner (very small and faint). The movement strikes the hours and quarters with the addition of push repeat. The clock has the Drocourt stamp on the back plate and the Drocourt Oval on the reverse of the dial. Alfred and Pierre Drocourt were both superb clockmakers, they had a factory in Saint-Nicolas-d’Ailermont, which was regarded as the most important town for carriage clock manufacturing. The majority of their clocks would go to their Paris premises and dispersed amongst the world’s top retailers of that time. They exhibited at the major exhibitions winning a bronze medal at Paris 1867, the Silver at Paris 1878 and the gold at Paris in 1889. The son, Alfred, succeeded his father Pierre sometime in the 1870’s. The clock is numbered 16949 which puts the date to circa 1875-80.  To find a ‘petite sonnerie’ by J.W.Benson and Drocourt in this condition is quite rare.  A truly wonderful clock with a very good tone to the two gongs. Supplied with an original Morroco leather covered case.