Maker, Unknown,
most likely American.
c. second half 1800's. Brass and bronze hybrid flat bed frame design.
Strike train frames one-half inch thick, going train three-eights inch
thick. Hour strike using rack
and snail system with quarter strike using a count wheel. Jeweled four legged gravity
escapement using jeweled anti-friction wheel impulse rollers. Mercury compensated
pendulum. Eight day duration (three day in current configuration). On custom
Amboyna wood stand 27"w x 22"h x
11.25"d.
Originally it was thought that this may have been a tower clock which had
European origins, but a few years after this movement was found,
an entire and
complete example but with a Graham style deadbeat escapement
which was undoubtedly built by the same maker was found complete with its
original and very large woodtall case.
This movement underwent extensive renovation as well as recreation of many missing and
damaged subsystems by the firm of Buchanan of Chelmsford. See last photo below for a shot
of the movement as originally found.
Click here for
a presentation on the entire restoration, more photos and videos.
A photo of the completed movement at the restorer's facility before
delivery.
The restored clock delivered, in custom case, right three quarter view. Note
the pendulum safety catcher incase of a suspension spring break. This is
critical as the pendulum bob is composed of twin glass jars each holding 10
lbs. of mercury. This avoids a major environmental disaster in my home!
Left three quarter view, within custom case.
Views of the clock at the restoration facility.
Demonstration video.
The movement as found.
This most unusual movement was originally thought to be a small exhibition tower clock as was another example in the skeleton
clock section (see Dent exhibition clock) or a
very large domestic skeleton clock. Because of this ambiguity I have included this in both
the skeleton and tower clock sections. But as noted above it was actually a
movement mounted within a very large wood tall case.
The hour and quarter strike frames are made of
bronze and extraordinarily thick at 1/2" (12.5mm). Wheel work displays classical
English design in that the hoops and spoke profiles are relatively thin compared to their
width. The other outstanding feature is the very high tooth and pinion counts found
throughout. The central going (time) train has six wheels with the following
counts: Great wheel 96 teeth, Second wheel 120 teeth and 24 pinion leaves , Third wheel
(center)112 teeth and 20 pinion leaves, Forth wheel 96 teeth and 16 pinion leaves, Fifth
wheel 90 teeth and 16 pinion leaves, Escape wheel 3 teeth and 9 pinion leaves
The strike trains each have five wheels (including fly). Close
examination shows that this movement has either run for a very brief period,
or more likely, never run at all. There are also ample signs of attempts at
getting this movement to run by later 'repairers' - actually butchers. One
half of the gravity escapement impulse system is missing and replaced with
an amateur attempt at repair. One the three legs of the escapement has been
broken and replaced with a crudely soft soldered piece. The pendulum is
missing. Ad-hoc springs were used to make the rack system, which originally
required none, to operate. Other tell tale signs of empty holes and
repositioned components (very likely the strike flies) shows that this was a
probably a unique design.
If not for the beautiful frame design, and exquisite wheel/pinion work this movement
might have been destined for the scrap heap. Instead I have commissioned a master
clockmaker, Buchanan of Chelmsford, to make the necessary repairs, recreate
the pendulum, weights and any other components necessary and do a general
renovation to the entire movement. Since this clock has been subject to many
changes over the years, and had no
history of or provenance before the discovery of a second, but somewhat
different movement I felt free to make more extensive repairs
and changes than would otherwise be made. Even if I had known of the other
example, this one was missing the entire case and recreation of that case
would have made the presentation of this beautiful movement obscured as can
be seen in the
other example.
Click here for
a presentation on the entire restoration, more photos and videos.