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JAN SCALÉ  AMSTERDAM. 

A Dutch eighteenth-century longcase clock with rocking ships automaton, signed on the dial  Jan Scalé Amsterdam, c. 1760. 

The case hood is typical for the period with an elaborate caddy, sound-frets and carvings at the top. The hood is flanked by flat pilasters with brass capitals and basements and surmounted by an Atlas figure flanked by Mercury and Fame. 

The fine oak case has a bombed base with mouldings and is veneered with well figured burr walnut with some lovely marquetry inlay. The door with a cast brass lenticle depicting the abduction of Europe by Zeus disguised as a bull. The whole stands on claw feet. 

The arched brass dial with engraved silvered chapter ring, pierced blued hands and silvered alarm disc, matted centre with subsidiary seconds and apertures for date day and month, all with foliate engraved scrolls. There is a moon-phase and age aperture above the VI. Fine polychrome four-seasons scenes embellish the corners of the dial. 

The arch showing Mercury (Hermes) hovering over a rocking ships automaton scene in front of the tolbooth of Volenwijck (near Amsterdam)

The weight driven week-going movement has anchor escapement with seconds pendulum, alarm and repeating Dutch rack striking on two bells of different pitch. 

Jan Scalé b.1741 Amsterdam, was recorded to be active in the second half of the 18th century. He is the son of the Huguenot and watchmaker Bernardt Scalé (b.1703 d.1771).

Height overall: 292 cm. 

Literature: 

• E. Morpurgo, Nederlandse klokken- en horlogemakers vanaf 1300, Amsterdam, 1970.
• www.amsterdamshorloge.nl