The face and back plate of this table clock are signed by Peña y Sobrino, watchmakers. The gilded bronze case is decorated with two full-relief figures of cherubs, whose lower limbs end in scrolls, seated on a rectangular pedestal with curved ends. Their arms are holding up an oval that contains the dials and workings of the clock. The profile of the oval is decorated with two rams’ heads and plant motifs. The top is finished in the shape of a Greek vase known as a lekanis. There is a floral garland between the two cherubs. The clock stands on four flattened ball feet decorated with plant and geometric motifs.

It has two white porcelain dials edged with gilded bronze frames. The upper dial has the hours in black Roman numbers and segments for the minutes. The exposed pin-pallet escapement, with ruby centres and Breguet-style blued metal hands, is inside. There are two winding key holes protected by gilded bronze rings. The adjustment hand is over number XII and the signature of the watchmaker under the hand stem: PEÑA Y SOBRINO // MADRID.

The lower dial contains the months of the year, a perpetual calendar, and the adjustment for setting the clock if it is running fast or slow.  There are two additional clock faces inside, one for the calendar and another for the days of the week. There is a window on them for the lunar calendar and an enamelled background with clouds and stars.

Two enamel plaques with pink edges with two cherubs flank both clock faces. The rectangular plaques with curved ends that embellish the front and sides of the pedestal are in the same colour. Glass doors protect both clock faces. The gilded bronze door on the back is decorated with engraved plant motifs and a fretwork rose window from which the chimes sound.

Parisian-style French movement. The wheel train with spring motor keeps the watch running for eight days. Pin-pallet escapement and pendulum. The striking mechanism chimes the hours and half hours via a bell. The signature of the watchmaker (PEÑA Y SOBRINO / MADRID) and the serial number (36488) are engraved on the back plate. The auxiliary movement has the perpetual calendar (years including leap years), weeks, months and moon phases.

This clock is based on a design by Louis-Achille Brocto created between 1855 and 1860 for the British market. The front cover of Richard Chavigny’s book has a similar clock that is kept at the Musée des curiosités horlogères René Donzé.

The Brocot family, comprising several generations of watchmakers, perfected suspension movements, escapements, calendars and chimes to achieve greater precision. Two of their advances were rest escapements and exposed escapements. These new escapements became popular and were widely copied by other European watchmakers.

In 1974 the clock was placed in the Governor’s Reception Room.

Amelia Aranda Huete