Timepieces by Carl Fabergé

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SEPTEMBER 2012
Timepieces by Carl Fabergé
Based on An Exhibit at The Bowers Museum
By Robert Gary ©2012
Peter Carl Fabergé (Karl Gustavovič Faberže) is
world renowned for the magnificent, jeweled Imperial Easter eggs commissioned by the Russian Tsars
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
An exhibition currently running at the Bowers
Museum in Santa Ana, CA, Fabergé: Imperial Jeweler to the Tsars, proves that Fabergé excelled in the
design of far more than eggs. Fabergé made his fame
and fortune by designing exquisite works of art of
common items of his day, including cigarette cases,
electric push buttons, picture frames, fans, desk
items, ships models, and even timepieces. The House
of Fabergé produced hundreds of thousands of unique
works of art between the years 1882 and 1917.
Carl, as he was called, was born SEPTEMBER
30, 1846, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to the Livonian
jeweler Gustav Fabergé and Charlotte Jungstedt.
Gustav established the House of Fabergé in St.
Petersurg in 1842. In 1860, the elder Fabergé retired
to Dresden, the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony,
which became part of the German Empire in 1871,
assigning the day-to-day operations of The House of
Fabergé to managers not of the Fabergé family.
At the age of 18, Carl embarked on a Grand Tour of
Europe and the great capitals of jewelry art, training
under goldsmiths in Germany, France, England, as
well as studying in great detail the galleries of
Europe’s leading museums. Carl returned to the
House of Fabergé around 1872 to continue his training under the tutelage of Hiskias Pendin. Carl
earned the title Master Goldsmith and, upon the death
of Hiskias in 1882, assumed complete control of the
family business. Under Carl’s direction, The House
of Fabergé grew to become the largest jewelry business in Russia with stores in Moscow, Odessa, Kiev,
and London, England, with the headquarters in St.
Peterburg.
In 1885, Tsar Alexander III commissioned a
specially decorated Easter egg as a gift for his wife,
Tsarina Maria Fedorovna. The Tsar specified that
this egg must have a surprise inside for his wife’s
enjoyment. The House of Fabergé delivered an egg
of enamel on gold, that when opened revealed a gold
yolk, which itself opened to release a gold chicken,
which then opened to a replica of the Imperial Crown
with a miniature ruby egg. The Tsarina was so
pleased with this gift that the Tsar commissioned an
egg every Easter thereafter with the only stipulation
being that each egg must be unique and each must
contain a surprise.
Fabergé Egg, Photo © C&M Photography.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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Message
SEPTEMBER 2012
________________________________________________________________
By Jim Chamberlain
I would like to remind you that we will be selling more of the clocks from
the estate of Katherine Demny at each meeting. There are more boxes for us
to go though and get ready for the next meeting so be prepared to buy.
Additionally, there will be boxes of clock and watch parts from another
estate at quite reasonable prices for you to find the item you will be able to
use in repairing your clocks and watches. If that does not draw you in, then
perhaps one or more of the books we are selling will be the very one you
have been looking for. They are being sold via the silent auction bidding
process. Although our minimum bids were obtained from Amazon book sale
prices, we are flexible and will consider offers.
If you went to the Chapter 69 mart and bought something, or have some
other clock or watch you would like to show, bring it for our “show-andtell”. Not all of us could not attend the mart, so we would like to hear your
report on the event.
By now we hope that you have signed up for our Greater L.A, Regional on
January 31 – February 2, 2013. If not, fill out the registration form which
will be at our entry table and send to Greater LA Regional, 7186 Calico
Circle, Corona, CA 92881. If you have special table needs, state them on the
form. We are looking for four programs and would ask all of you to consider
putting on one for us to enjoy. Let me know and I will make the arrangements with our program chairman.
Speaking of programs, I always ask for your input on what you would like us
to present at our meetings. So far there has been little response; therefore, it
is difficult to come up with subjects to draw in our members. Please make
my job a bit easier by letting us know what you want to have in the way of
programs and workshops. It is always a standing invitation for you to bring
in any clock or watch that you need assistance in repairing. Many of our
members have the necessary knowledge to analyze the problem and make
suggestions on getting the item running again.
I will be putting out a couple of my own books for door prizes each month
since my bookshelf is full of those I have collected over many years and
haven’t read recently. Your odds of winning one are reasonably high so stay
for our program which is followed by the drawing.
Come hungry as we are still serving luncheon for only $5 and there is a nice
variety of foods to choose from.
Our program this month will be on the “despised” 400 day clock. If you have
a unique torsional pendulum clock that you could bring in to discuss, please
do so.
Jim
PRESIDENT
Jim Chamberlain
VICE PRESIDENT
Jim Gilmore
SECRETARY
Chris St. Dennis
TREASURER
Kim St. Dennis
________________________________________________________________
Jim Chamberlain
Kim St. Dennis
Kim St. Dennis
________________________________________________________________
AUDIO VISUAL
Bill Robinson
HOSPITALITY
Marshal Knowlton
Chris St. Dennis
(818) 349-8031 [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
Ken McWilliams
________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 75 WEB SITE:
www.nawcc-ch75.com
WEB MASTER:
Dave Coatsworth
[email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Robert Gary
[email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGN
John Chinn
[email protected]
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Timepieces by Carl Fabergé
Based on An Exhibit at The Bowers Museum
By Robert Gary ©2012
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Tsar Alexander’s son, Nicholas II, continued the
egg tradition, increasing the order to two unique eggs
per year, one for his wife and one for his mother. It is
believed that between 50 and 60 eggs were made for
the Royal family, and an additional number made for
other wealthy individuals.
On exhibit at The Bowers is “The Nobel Ice Egg”
commissioned in 1913 for Dr. Immanuel Nobel, a
Russian oil baron and father of the founder of the
Nobel Peace Prize, Alfred Nobel.
watch as its surprise, although the surprises from
some of the eggs remain missing today.”
Also known as “The Snowflake Egg”, this is a
white enameled, bejeweled egg made of platinum,
silver, and seed pearls and is engraved to simulate ice
crystals or frost. It opens to reveal its “surprise” of a
diamond pendant watch made of platinum with rose
cut diamonds on a rock crystal backing. The Ice Egg
is absolutely stunning in its beauty.
The Fabergé exhibit has four additional timepieces
on display, all clocks. The Bowers Museum comments:
“Of the many varied creations of the House of
Fabergé, clocks are among the more rare. Many
Fabergé clocks are carved from his favored hardstones, including nephrite, lapis lazuli and rhodonite;
others are formed in enameled precious metals. For
the mechanical movements inside the clocks, Fabergé
relied on Swiss makers-notably the firms of Paul
Bouret and Henri Moser.”
Known as “The Wedding Clock”, this round,
bright blue guilloche1 enamel clock was purchased
jointly by Tsar Nicholas II and his new wife Tsarina
Alexandra Feodorovna shortly after their marriage.
The blue color represents true love; the radiating
trails evoke Virgil’s verse “Omnia vincit amor”-Love triumphs over all things; the hands are in the
shape of a lover’s knot.
Nobel Ice Egg & ‘Surprise’ Watch-Pendent, by Fabergé,
workmaster Albert Holmström, St. Petersburg, 1913,
Photo © C&M Photography.
The Bowers Museum documentation plaque for
this piece states:
“The Nobel Ice Egg" on display in this exhibition
is the only Fabergé egg known to have contained a
Wedding Clock, by Fabergé, workmaster Michael
Perchin, St. Petersburg, before 1896,
Photo © C&M Photography.
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Timepieces by Carl Fabergé
Based on An Exhibit at The Bowers Museum
By Robert Gary ©2012
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
The Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna purchased the
pink “Tsarina’s Clock” in December, 1901. This is a
triangular, pink guilloche enamel frame with a round,
white enamel dial in the center. The gold bezel
features inlaid seed pearls.
Desk Clock, by Fabergé, workmaster Michael Perchin,
St. Petersburg, c. 1890, Photo © C&M Photography.
Tsarina’s Clock, by Fabergé, workmaster Michael
Perchin, St. Petersburg, 1895,
Photo © C&M Photography.
The “Lily of the Valley Clock” was made in the
Moscow office of Fabergé. It features a Lily of the
Valley floral motif surrounding the dial set above an
oval crest of engraved initials. The movement case
on the back of the clock is gold with an ivory and
gold easel to support the piece.
Miniature Cartel Clock, by Fabergé workmaster Michael
Perchin, St. Petersburg, c. 1890,
Photo © C&M Photography.
The Bowers exhibition also features a miniature
cartel clock decorated in gold. The back of the clock
is engraved with the monogram and crown of the
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna.
The fifth clock on display at the Bowers is an
elaborately decorated desk clock (circa 1890) of gilt
and guilloche enameled surfaces displaying Rococo
characteristics surrounding a white enamel dial. The
gold bezel features inlaid seed pearls.
Clock, by Fabergé, Moscow Branch,
Photo © C&M Photography.
The exhibit Fabergé: Imperial Jeweler to the
Tsars currently at the Bowers Museum is a magnificent display of Fabergé’s work. The exhibit runs
through January 6th, 2013. The Bowers Museum is
located at 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA,
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Timepieces by Carl Fabergé
Based on An Exhibit at The Bowers Museum
By Robert Gary ©2012
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
92706. For information on current and future exhibits
and for ticket sales, visit www.bowers.org.
Additional Resources for timepieces created by The
House of Fabergé:
Of the eggs made for individuals other than the
Royal Family, a number contained timepieces. In 1902,
Carl Fabergé made an egg for Baron Edouard Alphonse
de Rothschild, a member of the prominent Rothschild
banking family of Paris. This egg had a clock on the
side which was always visible, so the clock was not the
“surprise” in this egg, rather, the top of the egg opened
to release a diamond studded rooster which flapped its
wings, and opened and closed its beak on the hour
strike. This piece is not contained in the Bowers’
exhibit. A photo of The Rothschild Egg can be seen on
the internet by Googling “Rothschild Fabergé Egg”.
There are numerous publications on the work of
Fabergé, but three that provide excellent photographs of
timepieces are:
1. Waterfield, Hermione, FABERGĖ, Imperial Eggs
and other Fantasies, (Forbes Inc., Charles Schribner’s
Sons, 1978). This volume has over 100 pages of
beautiful photographs in both black and white and color,
as well as a glossary of sketches of each Imperial Egg
listed by year of issue. A unique feature is the listing of
“Fabergé Collections Open To The Public” in both the
United States and Europe.
2. Snowman, A. Kenneth, Carl Fabergé: Goldsmith to
the Imperial Court of Russia, (The Viking Press, in
Association with Debrett’s Peerage Limited, 1979). This
publication has breathtaking color photographs of
numerous Fabergé timepieces, including the Uspensky
Cathedral Egg which features a replica of the Uspensky
Cathedral where the royal families were crowned. This
magnificent piece includes chiming clocks on two of the
gold copula turrets.
3. Habsburg-Lothringen, Geza von, First Impressions, Carl Fabergé, (Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated,
NY, 1994). This book concentrates more on the history
of the Fabergé Company.
1. Reviews.eBay.com: Guilloché, phonetically
pronounced gee-oh-SHAY, is from the French word
meaning "engine turning". It simply means "engine
turning patterns" and refers to an ornamental pattern.
The technique as it pertains to jewelry making involves
carving a design into a base metal.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the staff of the Bowers
Museum for their permission to publish material from
their exhibit, with special thanks to Megan Martinez,
Interim Vice President of Development and Marketing
for her assistance and for graciously supplying the
photographs. All photographs in this article are copyright C&M Photography and are used with permission.
Clocks ‘N’ Stuff
by Mary Wieland
Originally published in the June, 1980, edition of The Regulator
"DREAD ONE DAY AT A TIME"
Lord, grant me PATIENCE, and I want it RIGHT
NOW!
Sign on an office desk: No one does a full day's
work anymore; no one else that is.
IRISH TOAST: "May you be in heaven a half hour
before the devil knows you're gone."
Never put off till tomorrow what you can avoid
altogether
Some people are so good at learning the tricks of
the trade that they never learn the trade.
SUMMER: The season when children slam the
doors they left open all winter.
In the good old days, instant recall was a sign of
good intelligence, not bad manufacturing
There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
Robert Orben said it: "I've never had a guilty
Some repair shops that offer twenty-four hour
conscience. The only thing I ever did at night that I
service fail to explain that it usually means three
was sorry for in the morning was set the alarm
eight hour days.
clock."
"I’M GOING TO STOP PUTTING THINGS OFF; STARTING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING."
5
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SEPTEMBER 2012
About Clock Springs
Originally published in the June 1980 issue of the Chapter 75 newsletter, The Regulator
Sometime between 1827 and 1855, the Clockmakers of Connecticut ceased to use weights to drive
their clock movements and adopted springs. It is something of a mystery why this transition, which was so
radical, could have occurred without the furor it must have created at least in the trade, finding permanent
record in the chronicles of the times.
In the autobiography of Chauncey Jerome, he goes into minute detail time after time but fails to mention this development which took place when he was at the height
of his career as the leading clockmaker of his period. When some of these early clockmakers
proclaimed in extravagant terms, the perfection of their handiwork, it is more than strange that none of
them advertised the advantage of then newly adopted springs replacing the time honored but antiquated
weights.
For nearly three hundred years before clock making began in Bristol, the clock and watchmakers of
Europe had slowly developed improvements in mechanisms making possible the use of a spiral wound
spring to drive watch movements They had developed the Stackfreed and later the Fusee to compensate
for the fact that when the spring was wound tight, the movement ran fast and slowed down as the spring
unwound, and the tension grew less and less. The British were making fine shelf and mantel clocks with
cast brass movements driven by springs. The cases were of beautiful design after the furniture styles of
Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite. Although very expensive and made only for the wealthier
classes, this type of shelf clock was quite general from 1750 to 1800.
Early American clockmakers were not in ignorance of this type of shelf clock, but because of the
simplicity of the weight-driven mechanism and the expense, the early Connecticut clockmakers made no
effort to produce spring driven shelf clocks. From available records, it is not possible to name a definite
date when the clockmakers in Bristol began to abandon the use of weights. It is of interest, however, to list
in chronological order some facts as to the development of the clock spring which give some clue to its
adoption by the Connecticut clock makers:
1825 Joseph Ives of Bristol, one of the greatest inventors of clock mechanisms, secured a patent for
clock springs con¬sisting of several leaves, like a wagon spring.
1833 Elisha C. Brewster of Bristol purchased the clock busi¬ness of Charles Kirk of that town, who is
said to have made the first spring clocks in America.
1843 Elisha C. Brewster, Elias Ingraham, and Andrew Ingraham formed the firm of Brewster & Ingrahams which succeeded the firm of Elisha C. Brewster and Shaylor Ives. Shaylor Ives is said to
have been the first man to make spring clock movements.
1847 Edward L. Dunbar, son of Butler Dunbar, a famous Bristol clockmaker, had developed a method
of making clock springs and in 1847 started a factory in Bristol to make clock springs.
1848 Brewster & Ingrahams on March 4, 1848, made a contract with Anson L. Atwood, a talented
Bristol mechanic, to make for them in one year, 12,000 spring clock movements after the pattern
of those made by Pomeroy & Robbins in 1847.
1857 Wal1ace Barnes, of Bristol, established his business of clock spring making, the beginning of the
present Wallace Barnes Company. Shortly thereafter Wallace Barnes and Edward L. Dunbar
formed the firm of Dunbar & Barnes.
1862 Eli Terry, III, established a clock spring factory in plant at the junction of the Pequabuck and the
Poland.
1866 Patents issued to Wallace Barnes on attaching outside loop; also on scroll tempering.
6
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August
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If undeliverable, return to:
7344 Bonnie Place
Reseda, CA 91335
Our Meeting is
Sunday, September 23rd
11:00 Workshop
12:00 Mart & $5 Luncheon
1:30 General Meeting & Program
This Month:
“The ‘Despised’ 400 Day Clock”
by Jim Chamberlain
Timepieces of Fabergé
In This Issue:
THE REGULATOR
NAWCC SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CHAPTER 75
SEPTEMBER 2012