Vincenti et Cie Mantel Clock for Bailey, Banks & Biddle

Description

Wooden Mantel Clock
Vincenti et Cie
Late 19th century

This exquisite wooden mantel clock, crafted by the esteemed French firm Vincenti et Cie, exemplifies the elegance and precision of late 19th-century horology. Commissioned for the renowned American jeweler Bailey, Banks & Biddle, the clock reflects the era’s fascination with finely made timepieces as both functional objects and symbols of sophistication. The finely carved oak case, adorned with intricate details, showcases the craftsmanship characteristic of Vincenti et Cie, a firm celebrated for its award-winning clock movements during the 19th century. The movement plays a song on the hour and chimes on the half hour.

Vincenti et Cie, established in 1823 by Jean Vincenti in Montbéliard, was revitalized by Albert Roux in 1829, who expanded and innovated the company. Under Roux’s leadership, the firm continued its Montbéliard operations and opened a store in Paris in 1850 on Rue d’Anjou in the Marais. The company earned a silver medal (Médaille d’Argent) at the 1855 Exposition Universelle, for which this clock bears the mark “Médaille d’Argent, 1855,” noting its excellent craftsmanship.

Bailey, Banks & Biddle, as marked on the dial, is the oldest nationwide jeweler in America, originally founded in 1832 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company is one of America’s most prestigious retailers, known for creating the updated and final version of the Great Seal of the United States as well as the first 40,000 Purple Heart medals. Clocks from Bailey Banks & Biddle were showcased at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876 and their works have been owned by prestigious patrons including Dwight D. Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson Jr.

24 1/2″ high x 19″ wide x 11 5/8″ deep