Viennese Antique Gold Emerald Ruby and Pearl Clock, Probably by Carl Wurm, Circa 1830

A Viennese miniature gold zappler carriage clock probably by Carl Wurm, with a repoussé, chased and engraved case, designed as a small bracket clock, with the front face finely chased with garlands of flowers and acanthus, with scrolling foliage, festoons, volutes and fluted corner pilasters, in the baroque style, set with rubies and emeralds, with natural half seed pearls encircling the engine turned dial, which has Roman numerals and decorative black hands, with a red guilloché enamelled frame around the balance wheel aperture, the side, top and back panels are engraved with foliage decoration, topped with a pineapple finial, mounted in 14ct gold. The movement, features a shaped brass full plate, with visible balance wheel, oscillating over a gold engine turned plate, above the dial, in its original leather travel case, made in Austria circa 1830.

This miniature timepiece can be attributed to the renowned Viennese clockmaker Carl Wurm, who was active during the first half of the 19th century. He crafted several little clocks of this type. The same design, with different colourway, appears on Catalog Antiquorum Swiss Auctions Geneva, namely the Hotel Des Bergues auction, 18th April, 1998, Lot 142. A similar model, by Carl Wurm, is published and depicted in Frederick Kaltenböck’s book “Viennese Timepieces”.

Carl Wurm junior was born in 1798, the son of Carl Wurm senior. In 1837 he was recorded in the Imperial-Royal Prachin District Office official gazette, Volume 3, in the suburb of Wieden, No. 14. He was noted because of the invention in the construction of so-called equilibrium hand clocks. In the Imperial Royal Polytechnic Institute, in Vienna, yearbook, Volume 20, from 1839, he was recorded as Karl Wurm. That year he received a two-year privilege for inventing a percussion mechanism without a drive. This invention was described in the book "Collection of Laws for the Archduchy of Austria”, Volume 21. It was also mentioned in the book "Description of the inventions and improvements for which were granted in the Imperial-Royal Austrian States and whose privileges Duration is now extinct", second volume 1836-1840, Vienna 1842. In the trade and commerce directories of Vienna and its immediate surroundings from 1846 he was mentioned as a watchmaker.

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