18-Century Clock at Christie's a Timeless Treasure

The griffins that adorn this 18th-century ormolu, bronze, and marble clock might be reminders of Harry Potter, but it will take someone with the purse of JK Rowling to bring it home.  The clock, offered at auction by Christie's on October 24, has a pre-auction estimate of $70,000 to $100,000.  This spectacular timepiece traces its roots to Dominique Daguerre, a marchand-mercier in Paris who likely commissioned this piece.  The tail-tale sign are the Wedgwood insets, of which Daguerre was the exclusive importer.  The clock may have been created especially for Archduchess Marie-Christine of Habsburg, the sister of Marie-Antoinette.  The clock measures 28½ in (72 cm) high, 21½ in (54.5 cm) wide, 7½ in (19 cm) deep.  With a strong pedigree and ornamental details of classical Greece and Rome, this remarkable piece is timeless.