Summer time

There was some British interest amongst the watches: a mid-18th century silver pocket watch made by Wilders of London scored €500 (£345); a plainer, silver watch signed J.Edmonds of London (c.1770) made €300 (£205), as did a double-sided tacheometer by Searle & Co of Lombard Street, London (c.1900).

Much of the sale was devoted to the estate of Maurice Fronteau (1908-2002), a Paris clockmaker who specialised in restoring old clocks and who accumulated a collection “as extraordinary in its quantity as in its variety”, of which this first sale was “just a glimpse”, with a second sale to be held in the autumn.

Fronteau’s eclectic array of items ranged from an undated 2ff letter (probably c.1820) in ink, from Antide Janvier to A.L. Breguet, talking of Pequet’s compensation system, at €9500 (£6550), to an 18th century brass and iron double hourglass (actually counting 15 and 30 minutes), 43/4in (12cm) tall, that quadrupled hopes on €3000 (£2050).

A 17th century gilded metal monkey automaton of unspecified origin, with two movements (eyes and mouth), 7in (17.5cm) tall, went 20 times estimate to €21,000 (£14,500).

A ball-bearing clock (c.1860) led the sale on €55,000 (£37,900), five times estimate. This had a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and gilt hands, and a fully skeletonised movement with inverted dumbbell escapement; it is possibly related to the perpetual motion skeleton clocks, although a rarer and more complex model.

A German hour-striking “tabernacle clock” (c.1630) trebled estimate with €11,600 (£8000); a late 18th century quarter-striking skeleton clock made €24,000 (£16,550); a half-hour striking orrery clock with calendar by Balthazar Père (c.1820) raced to €45,000 (£31,000); and a damaged, green-lacquered late 18th century longcase clock made for the Turkish market by William Webster of Exchange Alley London, sold for €1500 (£1035).