Swiss silver Grande Sonnerie repeating coach clock Circa 1785

Silver coach clock with alarm by J. Robert et Fils
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An Important Swiss museum-quality, highly complicated quarter repeating coach clock with alarm, circa 1785. This watch features a high-quality Louis XV silver pierced and engraved case with bell. It is equipped with one of the most complicated coach clock movements, which is of extremely fine quality. The verge movement has a Grande Sonnerie with muting, quarter repeater, alarm, and verge escapement. The enamel dial is signed and features Roman radial hours, four winding holes, an outer minutes/seconds track with Arabic five minutes/seconds numerals, a centre second hand, and beautiful Breguet steel hands.
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Diameter: 145 mm
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Weight: 2.000 g
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Signed: J. Robert et Fils a la Chaux de Fonds
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This watch has a museum quality, not just because of its complications and size but also because it’s almost new. The only imperfection is a small chip on one of the four winding holes on the dial. It weighs approximately 2kg, making it one of the heaviest Swiss coach clocks. The Swiss company that created it was founded in 1781 and became a partner of Courvoisier in 1795.
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J. Robert & Fils is a Swiss watch manufacturer that was founded in 1771 as the successor to the company Josué Robert, which had been established many years earlier by Josué Robert (1691-1771). After Josué Robert passed away, the company was renamed Josué Robert & Fils, and Louis Benjamin Robert (1732-1781) took over as the director. The company primarily produced large watches, but when Louis Benjamin’s son-in-law, Louis Courvoisier, became a business partner, they began manufacturing pocket watches. After Louis Benjamin’s death, Courvoisier took over management of the company, and from 1787 to 1795, the company was called J. Robert & Fils, Courvoisier.
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It’s possible that the name J. Robert & Fils existed before 1771, when Josué Robert worked with his sons David Robert (1717-1769), Jonas-Pierre Robert (1720-1805), and Louis-Benjamin Robert. Aimé Robert (1758-1769), a son of Louis-Benjamin, was also involved in the business. Since Josué and David had passed away, a new listing may have been necessary in 1771.
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In the book Swiss Timepiece Makers, Kathleen H. Pritchard mentions Jean Pierre Robert as a partner but doesn’t mention Jonas-Pierre Robert as a son. It’s possible that Jean Pierre Robert and Jonas-Pierre Robert are the same person.