245 - Georg Hörman - Coach Clock

Georg Hörman - Coach Clock An important Eichstätt "à toc et à tact" half-quarter-repeating coach clock, housed in a leather travel case, decorated with an applied, artistically openworked silver ornament – original key Dimensions 104 mm, circa 1710, Weight 862 g, Origin: Germany, Accessories Case: Travel case—wood/leather, silver ornament. Inner case—brass, fire-gilt, artfully openworked and engraved on the sides and decorated with Baroque motifs such as acanthus scrolls, volutes, and fanciful birds; rear bell. Dial: Gilded, champlevé. Movement: Full-plate movement, chain/fusee, 2 hammers, verge escapement, three-arm steel balance. The movement of this carriage clock is illustrated and described in *Die Kutschenuhr* by Lukas Stolberg, Munich 1993, p. 242, and in *Klassik Uhren* 1/2002, Munich 2002, p. 16. Very little information is available about Georg Hörmann, an exceptionally prolific maker of beautiful, high-quality watches. Some of his timepieces are held in museums or private collections. He was most likely Georg (Melchior) Hörmann, who probably worked in Eichstätt between 1655 and 1710. Watchmaking has a long tradition in Eichstätt, and the local masters rank among the finest of their era. The settlement of the sparsely populated Altmühltal region in Upper Bavaria began with the founding of the Diocese of Eichstätt in 741. This quickly led to its rise as a spiritual center and prosperous town. During the Thirty Years’ War, Eichstätt was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1634 and subsequently rebuilt as a Baroque city. At the same time, all crafts experienced a period of flourishing—including watchmaking, as was the case in other similar royal residences. A detailed report on watchmakers from Eichstätt, featuring numerous illustrations, was published in *Klassik Uhren* 1/2002, Munich 2002, pages 12–30. Case: very good, with some scuffs. Dial: very good. Movement: very good, in working order; cleaning recommended.