The son of a merchant, Renacle-Nicolas Sotiau (1749-1791) was born in Liège. He became a mâitre horologer on 24 June 1782 and held the title of Horloger de Mgr. le Dauphin (the first Dauphin, son of Louis XVI). Augarde records him as being one of the most famous clockmakers in Paris, collaborating with the marchands-merciers Darnault and Daguerre on commissions for illustrious clients such as Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, Victoire and Adelaïde, daughters of Louis XV, the duc de Polignac and the Prince Regent, later George IV, see J.-D. Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, Geneva, 1996, p. 397. He is known to have used clock cases by François Rémond and Pierre-Philippe Thomire.
Georges-Adrien Merlet (1754-c. 1802) was one of the three best enamellers in Paris in the second half of the eighteenth century alongside Jean Coteau and Etienne Gobin, known by the surname of Dubuisson, who is known to have worked in Sèvres in about 1756, painting flowers, watch cases and dials. Merlet's name appears on relatively few clocks but all of them are of very high quality, such as the one sold Christie’s, Paris, 16 December 2008, lot 257. Merlet is known to have collaborated with Sotiau on multiple occasions, as illustrated by a clock signed by both craftsmen sold Christie’s, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 157.