A Louis XV transitional ormolu quarter repeating cartel clock, François Ageron, Paris, circa 1760

the 8½-inch enamel dial signed Ageron A Paris, finely pierced and engraved hands, the similarly signed movement with verge escapement, numbered outside count wheel striking on a bell, pull quarter repeating with two hammers on the hour bell, the cadrature mounted on the backplate, the case in the manner of Robert Osmond with lidded urn surmount above a sun mask and boldly cast scrolls and foliate mounts, below the dial a further mask and scrolls framing a glazed pendulum aperture

Dial with minor chips to winding holes and edge chip between I and II, good hands. Movement is complete and looks as though it would run but may benefit from fresh oil, quarter bell lacking. Case in good condition, gilding cleaned. With pendulum but no winder.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping.

Important Notice regarding importation into the United States of Rolex watches
Sotheby's cannot arrange for the delivery of Rolex watches to the United States because U.S. laws restricts the import of Rolex watches. The buyer or a designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale."

Although the overall shape and heavily cast rococo scrolls of the case place this clock firmly in the Louis XV period, certain elements such as the covered vase and the female masks herald the transition to a more neoclassical taste which began to be felt in Parisian decorative arts as early as the late 1750s. The use of a classical vase to surmount a rococo case appears in an ormolu bracket clock by Robert Osmond dated to c.1755-1760.

François Ageron became a maître horloger in 1741 and is recorded as working in the Place Dauphine in Paris.  Alongside other important clockmakers he used some of the the leading Parisian bronziers of the day including Robert Osmond, Jacque Caffieri and Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain.  Ageron also received royal commissions, and a bracket clock with a movement by Ageron is recorded in a 1787 inventory of the Appartements de la Reine at Versailles (Pierre Verlet, Les Bronze Dorés Français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris 1987, p.460).