jasonclarkeltd - Antique Vintage Decor

Victorian Channel Islands Walnut & Ebonised Drumhead Clock with French Movement by Le Lacheur, Guernsey.

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A Victorian Channel Islands walnut and ebonised cased drum head mantel clock with French Movement and signed to Jean Le Lacheur, Guernsey.

This unusual clock is in superb condition with 4.5" ceramic dial, classical motifs and beautifully figured veneers which contrast well with the ebonised sections around the plinth and the drum head. The back door is unusual as it is constructed of wood, it also has a trade label for “LG Weygang, practical watch & clockmaker, jeweller etc from Lund & Blockley, 42 Pall Mall & 15 Smith Street Guernsey.

Louis Gustave Weygang moved to Guernsey to set up in business in 1885 which is somewhat late for a clock of this design. It is more likely that Weygang was responsible for servicing the clock and left a trade label on the back on its return. An experienced clockmaker, Weygang started his career with the famous Lund & Blockley of Pall Mall where he was responsible for many timepieces owned by the Royal Family so it is little wonder why he decided to use the name of his previous employer on his trade label.

The clockmaker Jean Le Lacheur is a little more difficult to trace but it is likely that he took over the company of Le Lacheur & Lenfeszty which traded from 1821 – 1860. Operating from The Old Bank, 29 The High Street in St Petersport, by 1874 Le Lacheur was advertising in Le Lievres Almanak his ability to receive electric time signals direct from the Greenwich Observatory for the purposes of accuracy and was probably the first private user of this service in the Channel Islands. His subscription lasted until 1881 which is likely to have been the point at which he ceased to trade. Le Lacheur would have imported movements for the purposes of manufacturing clocks for his customers in Guernsey.

The movement is a French movement stamped to S. Marti & Cie, Medaille de Bronze. Similar to Japy Freres, the company were responsible for the manufacture of round movements and were sold around the world and housed by clockmakers to the specific taste of the regions. The company won the medaille de bronze in 1860 and received the medaille d’argent in 1889 allowing for dating of the movement.

Given the style of the clock and Le Lacheur’s and Marti’s trading dates, the clock can be dated to circa 1865.

The movement strikes on the hour and half an hour and is good working order, having recently been serviced by a qualified horologist.

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