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Vienna, around 1825
- signed
- "Ludwig Deffner in Wien" (signed on the dial and the plate)
- Clockmaker
- Ludwig Deffner, Vienna
- *1790, 1825 master, †1834
- Case
- engine turned ormolu, four carytide-herms as supporting figurines
- Dial
- enamel
- Movement
- pin wheel escapement, Viennese grande sonnerie on wire gongs, repeater, original glass dome (height with glassdome 20 ¾ in.)
- Technique
- duration of one month
- Height
- 18 in
cf.: F. Kaltenböck: Die Wiener Uhr, Munich 1988, p. 152.
This museum-worthy mantel clock, of one month-long duration, was crafted by the renowned Viennese clockmaker Ludwig Deffner. It stands as a magnificent example of the pinnacle of Viennese horological culture from the early 19th century. The exquisitely engine turned, and matte and glossy gilded case represents some of the finest work produced by the bronze casters, guillocheurs, and fire gilders of the Danube metropolis during that era, created in brilliant collaboration. On the round base with four lion‘s paw feet, four caryatid herms with ram‘s feet and female heads rest on cylindrical pedestals, serving as the supporting figures for both the movement and the dial. Two similar case models are published and illustrated in F. Kaltenböck‘s standard work “Die Wiener Uhr”.
The enamel dial, as well as the movement‘s plate, bear the signature of master Ludwig Deffner. Born in 1790 in Vienna, Deffner was appointed a master in 1825 but passed away in 1834. Despite his relatively short career as a clockmaker, Deffner produced a series of outstanding timepieces and earned a reputation as an excellent craftsman.
The masterful movement, featuring a pin-wheel escapement and the Viennese quarter strike on wire gongs, boasts an impressive running duration of one month – an exceptional rarity for spring-driven Viennese mantel clocks with the complex quarter-hour striking mechanism. This extraordinary timepiece is a particularly rare example of the finest European horological craftsmanship, standing out as a highlight in any collection of exquisite antique clocks.