An impressive George III brass mounted musical quarter-chiming automaton table clock made for the Spanish market Robert Higgs and James Evans, London, circa 1775 The substantial six pillar triple fusee movement with verge escapement regulated by short lenticular bob pendulum and playing/chiming a choice of four tunes via 3 inch diameter pinned cylinder on a graduated nest of twelve bells with twelve hammers comprising notations for the quarters and full tune at the hour before counting the hour on a further larger bell, the backplate engraved with geometric border and symmetric foliate scrolls around a central reserve inscribed Higgs y, DIEGO EVANS, Bolsa Real, Londres over further reserve decorated with a musical trophy, with external fly for the music train and holdfast for the pendulum, the 8.5 inch arched brass dial applied with circular white painted disc signed Higgs y, DIEGO EVANS, BOLSA REAL, LONDRES to centre within Roman hour chapters and Arabic five minutes to outer track, with scroll-pierced and engraved gilt brass hands and leafy scroll cast spandrels to angles with the upper pair interrupted by white painted subsidiary calendar and MINUETTA, ARIA, DANCA and SONATA selection dials flanking MUSICA/SILENCIO switch, the arch with painted automata incorporating two sets of pleasure craft, rowing boats and a swan parading during the operation of the music train at the hour and quarters before a recessed scene finely painted with a harbour mouth guarded by a castle and a fortress, the case with flambeau urn finial set on a pedestal flanked by foliate scroll pierced fretwork mounts over raised brass-fillet moulded inverted bell-top superstructure adorned with lambrequin above festoon husk mounts, with repeating lozenge cast sound fret to the upstand beneath flanked by conforming urn finials set on cavetto double top mouldings, the front with brass fillet inset glazed dial aperture to the door incorporating foliate scroll cast brass quadrant frets to upper angles, flanked by canted angles applied with gilt female terms over floral trails, the sides with hinged carrying handles over cherub mask centred sunburst and scroll cast brass arched sound frets, the rear matching the front, on generous cavetto moulded skirt base applied with further festoon mounts over repeating leafy apron mounts to front and sides and with foliate scroll cast feet, 68.5cm (27ins) high excluding top finial and plinth; 85cm (33.5ins) high overall; with a modern gilt brass mounted mahogany wall bracket, applied with Empire style mounts to the platform edge and the twin down-curved supports, 27cm (10.75ins) high, (2). Robert Higgs is recorded in Baillie, G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as apprenticed in 1743 and gaining his Freedom of the Clockmaker's Company in 1750. He worked from Sweetings Alley and took his brother Peter into partnership in 1770. James Evans is also recorded by Baillie as working from Sweetings Alley from 1773. In 1775 Evans entered into partnership with Robert and Peter Higgs; the firm subsequently moved to Exchange Alley and continued in business until around 1825. The partnership of Higgs and James Evans specialised in producing clocks for the export market - particularly to Spain hence a significant proportion of surviving examples (including the current lot) being annotated and signed in Spanish. The current lot retains rare traces of an original paper trade label applied to the rear of the movement seatboard inscribed ...DIEGO EVANS, ...XERO, ...SWEETINGS ALLEY..., de LONDRES.