Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
Lot 77Ω
A remarkable late 20th century Planetarium table clock with planisphere and hand-painted portraits of Christian Huygens and Johannes Kepler, in the original travel box, with key and spare glass dome. Christiaan van der Klaauw. Bought new by the vendor in 1991. Almost certainly unique. 3
Amended
2 July 2025, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £25,600 inc. premium
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A remarkable late 20th century Planetarium table clock with planisphere and hand-painted portraits of Christian Huygens and Johannes Kepler, in the original travel box, with key and spare glass dome.
Christiaan van der Klaauw. Bought new by the vendor in 1991. Almost certainly unique.
Surmounted by a removable clear glass dome to protect the seven cultured pearl planets of varying size, each set on a separately rotating arm set into the black-painted and velvet-lined planetarium. (The clock is sold with an alternative glass dome, tinted with a warm orange hue.) The top further set with burnished gilt finials and frets centred by four applied porcelain oval medallions depicting figures from Antiquity. The sides set with hand-painted portraits depicting Christian Huygens (1629-1695) and Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) within gilt frames and Tuscan columns to a moulded base on button feet.
The rectangular velvet covered dial with silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring set below the large planisphere with sun hand giving the time against at IIII-XII-VIII arc against signs of the Zodiac and with rolling moonphase to the base. The movement wound and set from the rear through the signed and silvered backplate. Ticking. Together with the spare glass dome, a double ended winding/setting key, bespoke wooden travel case and hard-backed catalogue featuring the Planetarium/Planisphere on a timeline of the development of the Christiaan van der Klaauw range. 28cms (11ins) high. (3)
Surmounted by a removable clear glass dome to protect the seven cultured pearl planets of varying size, each set on a separately rotating arm set into the black-painted and velvet-lined planetarium. (The clock is sold with an alternative glass dome, tinted with a warm orange hue.) The top further set with burnished gilt finials and frets centred by four applied porcelain oval medallions depicting figures from Antiquity. The sides set with hand-painted portraits depicting Christian Huygens (1629-1695) and Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) within gilt frames and Tuscan columns to a moulded base on button feet.
The rectangular velvet covered dial with silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring set below the large planisphere with sun hand giving the time against at IIII-XII-VIII arc against signs of the Zodiac and with rolling moonphase to the base. The movement wound and set from the rear through the signed and silvered backplate. Ticking. Together with the spare glass dome, a double ended winding/setting key, bespoke wooden travel case and hard-backed catalogue featuring the Planetarium/Planisphere on a timeline of the development of the Christiaan van der Klaauw range. 28cms (11ins) high. (3)
Footnotes
Christiaan van der Klaauw are the only horological atelier in the world to specialise solely in the production of astronomical clocks and watches. This particular model was sold to the vendor in 1991; at that time, there were plans for another two examples to be made, but apparently the model was too expensive and time consuming to make further editions. This example is therefore, to the best of our knowledge, the only one in existence.
Saleroom notices
Please note that we have recently had confirmation from Christian van der Klaauw that this piece is indeed unique.
Additional information
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