J. Cottet

A large and impressive Franche Comté rosewood calendrical and astronomical striking table clock, 40 inches high. Manufactured in Morez, in the Jura region of France. Though less celebrated today for clock-making than the adjacent town of Morbier, Morez was an important centre of 19th century horology as indicated by the incredible craftsmanship of this clock.

The arched rosewood case has small, glazed side panels to display the mechanism. Carved foliate mouldings above the glazed front panel door and foliate inlay to the back board. Signed J.COTTET/FABRICANT/A MOREZ/(JURA)/BREVET S.G.D.G. Inset with enamel dials indicating: 25-day Solar rotation; local mean time; day of the week; Lunar retardation; the Epact and the Golden Number; leap years; and letter of Dominical year. World time is shown on a polar-projected map of the Northern Hemisphere with revolving twice XII chapter ring coloured to indicate which part of the Earth is in day or night. All moving in conjunction with a rotating terrestrial globe with a gimballed twice XII chapter ring incorporating a mesh cover indicating night, with a smaller orbiting lunar globe, also with gimballed cover to show its cycle. The brass knob to the door is a later replacement.

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