“l'oubli Du Temps” – Empire-style Cercle Tournant Mantel Clock After Claude Galle

Signed: Japy Frères – Medal of HonorDimensions: Height 50 cm × Width 34 cm × Depth 16 cmMaterials: Fire-gilded bronze and patinated bronze, “Vert de Mer” marble.This Empire-style mantel clock, entitled “L'Oubli du Temps,” is a refined 19th-century edition of an iconic model attributed to Claude Galle (1759–1815), one of the most renowned bronze makers of the imperial court. This version bears the signature of Japy Frères, an innovative watchmaking house founded by Frédéric Japy (1749-1812) and his sons in 1806, a pioneer of watchmaking industrialization in France. The movement features a rare and technically sophisticated rotating circle mechanism, where the time is indicated not by hands but by two rotating enameled rings: The upper circle displays the minutes in intervals of 5 (Arabic numerals), The lower circle indicates the hours in Roman numerals (I–XII). This type of dial required great mechanical precision and was highly valued during the Directoire and Empire periods. The allegorical figure—a classical woman offering a laurel wreath while lifting her cloak—stands next to a symbolic stele richly decorated with gilded Empire motifs, such as the caduceus, the laurel wreath, and the rosette. His gesture, as well as the title of the clock, evoke the transience of time and memory. The base is made of “Vert de Mer” veined marble, decorated with delicate gilt bronze appliques depicting winged figures and garlands. The whole rests on four spherical gilt bronze feet. Although dating from around 1850, this clock accurately reflects the aesthetics and symbolism of the early Empire period (circa 1805–1810). The model is said to have been reissued by Parisian workshops such as Lepage et Cie, after a design by the sculptor Simon-Louis Boizot (1743–1809), a close collaborator of Claude Galle and the Sèvres factory.