Tête-De-Poupée Mantel Clock with Quarter Repeat

This excellent example of a tête-de-poupée, or doll’s head, clock repeats the last hour and quarter hour by pulling a cord. This is particularly useful for knowing the time at night or in the dark.

Gilles II was a member of the well-known Martinot clockmaking family. He was one of the first French horologists to make pendulum clocks. He met Christiaan Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum clock, at least twice, initially in 1660. Martinot was made Watchmaker to the King in 1654 and had lodgings at the Galleries of the Louvre. He likely met the famed cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle there, leading to the collaboration seen in this doll’s head clock.