French silver coach clock with self strike and alarm Circa 1650

Museum quality coach clock
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An extremely early French coach clock with self strike and alarm, made by Barthélémy Macé in Blois, France, circa  1650. The splendidly pierced silver case has a back with three openings for winding the mechanism, a self striking mechanism and alarm and bell. The dial has an enamel outer ring with Roman hour numerals, a fire gilt alarm disc in the center and blued steel hands. The movement has an early highly complicated verge escapement, three barrels, two hammers and a splendid verge bridge.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 108 mm
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Weight: 1.220 g
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Signed: B. Macé Blois (plate), Gaudron Paris (rim)
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The watch presented here is one of the earliest known coach watches from the 17^th century and is a museum rarity. It was obviously overhauled or modernized by none other than the famous Pierre Gaudron, court watchmaker to the Duc d’Orleans and the King of France, or by his father Antoine Gaudron, who came from Blois. what can be deduced from the fact that the clock has an early hairspring and the spindle bridge was signed Gaudron! The time of the modernization is dated 1680-1690, i.e. shortly after the invention of the hairspring.
The watch has been known since 2000 when it was first auctioned in Geneva as part of an important verge watch collection, estimated at the time CHF 55.000-65.000.