PORTAL CLOCK WITH DAY AND DATE,
Louis XVI, Paris ca. 1780. On a blue enamel cartouche, signed Bouchet Horloger du Roi. Jean Louis Bouchet, Vinantes 1737-1792 Paris.
White and black marble, and gilt bronze. Portal clock, the pillars with blue biscuit porcelain reserves in the style of Wedgewood. Bronze mounts, designed as flowering branches, arrows and rosettes. White enamel dial, below, 2 additional dials for the day and date. Fine gilt hands. Parisian movement, striking the 1/2-hour on bell. Without key.
34 x 12 x 49 cm.

The biscuit porcelain plates are different, one is slightly oval, probably replaced. Minor losses.

Provenance:
- Collection Friedrich von Tscharner (1868–1952), Berne.
- By succession, Swiss private collection.

J.L. Bouchet was a "compagnon" of P. Gille l'Ainé and A.C. Caron and received the title of maître in 1762. Furthermore, he held the title "Horloger du Roi par livraisons au Garde-Meuble" and was responsible for the maintenance of the pendulum clocks in the Bellevue Palace during the reign of King Louis XV.

Comparative Literature:
- J.D. Augarde, Les ouvriers du temps, Geneva 1996; p. 285 and p. 284 (Fig. 218, a skeleton pendulum clock by J.L. Bouchet with a fine movement "à complications" and astronomical information).