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conventional movement tensioned on a C-spring
brass, cardboard, cast iron, glass, steel
Before us is a characteristic and expressive Fine Victorian Aneroid Barometer, dating to approximately 1875, manufactured by the well-known French company Dubois & Casse, representing an early type of wall-mounted instrument with a classical construction and restrained design.
The barometer is housed in a barrel-shaped brass case, giving the instrument a sense of structural coherence and visual clarity. At the top is a suspension ring mounted on a hinged bracket, allowing for convenient wall placement. The front is fitted with a thin brass bezel, mounted onto the body of the instrument. The bezel holds a flat mineral glass. At the centre is a brass trend indicator with a slender pointer and a knurled adjustment knob, allowing the user to set the previous pressure reading.
The dial is made of cardboard mounted onto a metal (zinc) plate and set within a brass frame forming a reflective ring, facilitating ease of reading under varying lighting conditions. The barometric scale is arranged concentrically and graduated in centimetres of mercury, ranging from 63 to 80 cm. Along the outer edge, a textual weather indication is printed in French.
The dial bears the retailer’s signature: “Dubas Horloger Opticien, Nantes”. Leon Dubas (born c. 1817) was a watchmaker, jeweller, and optician working at 41 Quai de la Fosse in Nantes between 1863 and 1873. In the Webster Signature Database, he is listed as a NIM (Nautical Instrument Maker) from around 1850. The business was likely continued by Jean Dubas, who carried it into the early 20th century.
Of particular interest is the lower part of the dial, where the name of the instrument is flanked on both sides by miniature maker’s marks of Dubois & Casse — an anchor with the initials D and C. Notably, these marks are applied in mirror form: the letters D and C are reversed and interchanged, creating a rare and somewhat curious variation of the maker’s signature.
The movement represents a conventional aneroid construction. At its core is a brass aneroid capsule tensioned on a C-shaped steel spring. The transmission of motion to the pointer arbor is achieved by means of a fusee chain.
Thus, this Dubois & Casse barometer represents a characteristic example of French aneroid instrument making of the second half of the 19th century, combining functional engineering with a considered dial design and distinctive retailer marking, reflecting both the technical level of its time and its aesthetic conventions.
