Very Rare Duplex Musical Clock by E. Flonck, 1898

With 9-inch (23 cm) Roman cartouche dial, two-train movement by Japy Frères et Cie, striking hours and halves on gong, independent eight-air cylinder movement with 2 contra-rotating cylinders, 2 combs of 50 teeth each (complete) with spring-adjusted zithers, brass bedplate signed and dated "E. Flonck, Mars 1898", power-reserve indicator calibrated 10-5-0, side-mounted enameled tune-selector dial and tune change/repeat control activated from underside, in carved Black Forest-style walnut case with turned balustrade and pilasters, wd. 16 ½ x ht. 21 ½ in. (42 x 55 cm), cylinders 8 7/8 in. (22,5 cm), with pendulum and two keys. Good original playing condition. - Literature: for a detailed description of Flonck's musical clock, see article by Johan Goyvaerts and Jean-Marc Lebout in "Musiques Mécaniques Vivantes", No. 84, pp. 23-34. - Little is known of E. Flonck and at present only one other example of his work has been identified, an eleven-air duplex cartel musical box produced in 1899. Flonck was evidently a musician as well as an engineer as he is listed as the composer of the fifth air on the example offered here. - Repertoire: 1. "Johanna Valse", 2. "Mazurka" by Albert (?) Fuchs, 3. "Les Cloches du Monastère" by Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely, 4. "Romance Comme à Vingt Ans" by Marie-Auguste Massacrié-Durand, 5. "Polka" by Flonck, 6. "La Marseillaise" by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, 7. "Carmen" by Georges Bizet and 8. "Valse Odon-Quinn" by Albert (?) Fuchs. - Salient technical features of the movement include the impulse push-button stop/start, a governor with variable wing-surface (which decreases to reduce resistance as the spring unwinds), power-reserve indicator, tune-selector/changer via a stepped horizontal cam, pinned wheel and steel pawl. - Arthur Ord-Hume attributes the first patent of a "duplex" musical box to Alfred Junod in around 1887, with double-cylinder machines by Charles Paillard, Mermod Frères and Ami Rivenc appearing on the market soon afterwards. All shared similar characteristics. Flonck's design, however, is unique. - Musically and technically a fascinating exhibition piece.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)