Table clock "Bracket"; London, England, 18th century.

Table clock "Bracket"; London, England, eighteenth century.
Walnut wood and bronze.
Signed John Taylor.
In working order. Preserves pendulum.
Presents flaws in the veneer.
Measurements: 57 x 31 x 31 cm.
The bracket clocks of English origin stand out mainly for their mechanism, but also for their decoration. This typology has its origin in the decade of the 60's of the XVII century, when the pendulum is applied to the clock substituting the previous regulator of "foliot" or steering wheel. This change made it necessary to provide the mechanism with a case that would protect it from shocks that could alter its movement. Thus were born the watches known in England as brackets, i.e. transportable watches. These were short case pieces, which housed inside a mechanism held between two thick plates and containing, as a driving force for each train, a combination of hub and snail. These clocks were initially designed to be placed on a bracket, hence their English name. This bracket was an independent piece that was usually manufactured at the same time, with decoration to match the clock. Later, however, the base and clock began to be made separately.