Alfred Dunhill Vintage Clock

Description

Guarantee line AÊ Deco, Silver, 'voyage'-type, table clock (timepiece), made in France and retailed by Alfred Dunhill,4S Rue Jermin, Paris, circa 1930's. Description Case: 4" x 0.5" x 6" rectilinear silver table clock (one of a pendulette series) with brushed silver bezel enclosing a crystal overlying the dial. This could also be used as a travel ('voyage') clock. The bezel is screwed to the rectilinear solid silvered back cover with eight screws at the edges of the rear plate. A canister Çpe clock movement is centered on the rear plate while there is a shaped swing-out stand for stabilizing the clock as it sits on the desk, The stand itself carries two maftings, both barely legible. The first appears to be Brevete (patent) while the second is a hen, rooster or a dove, resembling one of the French silver marks. (l cannot be ceftain of this because Dunhill had retailed lighters with a dove on them indicating the French designerof the Dunhill lighter. SEE: https ://www.barnebys.com/realized prices/loV4 733896/ad u n h ill-namiki-lacquer-and- silver-rectangular-box-circa L930/) The clock bears no marks of the maker, however, Craftier was known to have made many of the Parisian clocks retailed by Dunhill. Dial: Rectilinear two tone silver dial with applied upright Silver Arabic hours against a lighter brushed silver ground, closed minute ring at the border of the dial with gilt minute markers laced every five minutes. The dial center a polished darker silver marked,'Alfred Dunhill, Paris', with silvered fenestrated matching ringlet hands. Movement: A canister type movement with the canister cover revealing a central knob for setting the hands, a skate key winder for the single spring and a lever for making the movement run faster or slower. This is most likely a French made eight day movement, time only with a balance wheel lever escapement. Condition: Scratches, scuffs and rubs to the bezel and the back of the case. The dial is excellent with a minimum amount of small scuffs. Date Circa 1930's Height Depth 4 inches .5 inches. Regarding the use of the dove by designer Namiki in Paris -The collaboration between Dunhill and Namiki goes back to 1930. Dunhill is one brand that has always maintained a strong historical collection of yarious items. This includes not just clothing (tuxedos belonging to Frank Sinatra and Truman Capote), driving accessories and smoking paraphenalia, but also whisky, trophies, darts and boxing gloves, clocks, watches, of course their lighters and much more. Alfred Dunhill was restless in his exploration of ways to combine clocks with other things: in make-up kits, in smoking kits, hidden away in lighters, in cane handles. The innovation was constant. The clock can be cleaned by an expert shop and look good as new when scuffs have been removed.
*These are notes from the Valuation company that I used to appraise the clock* - this clock was given as a gift back in the 1990's - by a well-known actor