Tag: antique clocks

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Australia’s First Clock Maker

Antique clocks as we have looked at in my many blogs centered around London in the 17th and 18th centuries. The UK exported many of these clocks to different parts of the world. Pendulum of Mayfair website sells many of these fine clocks.

Fleeing UK to set up a new life overseas

Clock production only really set up in places like America, as a result of people fleeing persecution on religious grounds. It was slightly different how clock production was setup in places like Australia. Hundreds of convict ships sailed during the 18th and 19th centuries to Australia. As mentioned in my previous blog Henry Lane the clockmaker from London and Bristol was a prisoner on board the Perseus.  Clearly other convicts arrived in Australia who were also clockmakers in the UK. James Oatley was born in Warwickshire in 1770 but was found guilty of stealing bed linen. He was a horologist who arrived in Sydney in 1815. His talents also were noted and he became a highly regarded clock and watch maker. He was pardoned in 1821 and he was appointed Keeper of the Town Hall Clock by Governor Macquarie.

Sydney Clocks

It is Henry Lane Clock maker who I will be looking at here though. It is found a year after his arrival he had set up his business in Sydney in 1803. Clearly with no competetion to speak of, he was not short of work. He he is mentioned soon after his arrival advertising for an apprentice and a clock case manufacturer. In April 1804 he advertises for sale a ships chronometer and through these adverts you can tell he also manufactured watches at the time. Sydney was founded in 1788 . Again convict ships set sail from Portsmouth. The Town Hall clock that Henry Lane was asked to repair after it collapsed in 1806 was probably brought on one of these ships from the UK. The first tower clock in the UK to compare was at Salisbury Cathedral and it was made in 1386, over 400 years earlier !

Conditional Pardon Henry Lane 1808

In 1808 Henry Lane has been given a conditional pardon and by 1811 Henry was appointed Government Clock Keeper. He held this position until his death on the 15th April 1815. The earliest editions of the Sydney Gazette gives lots more information about Henry Lane. He has grandfather clocks and watches advertised for sale. It is an interesting history that I suggest readers delve deeper.

Close Bonds Between UK and Australia

Australia and the UK have a unique history from 1788. It is probably one of the closest international relationships in existence. It has a shared history, culture, institutions and language. The only change is that people go to live in Australia freely from the UK today ! Even the current Australian Prime Minister was born in the UK in Wales. There has always been a fierce rivalry especially in sport between our two nations but we have always had a special bond. Many of the people who live in Australia today have some connection with the UK, either in past or present history.

 

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Japanese Pillar Clocks

 

In my various blogs to date we have studied clockmaking in the UK in great depth, this is with due reason. London was the centre of the clock making during the 17th/18th and 19th centuries. In my later blogs I have looked at clock making in France and Germany. Clock decoration carried out by the Chinese, on lacquer clocks. I wish to end this year with a quick look at antique clocks and timekeeping in Japan. I will focus on the humble Japanese Pillar Clock.

 

Japanese Time

Japanese clocks were somewhat different to European antique clocks in the 17th,18th and 19th centuries. The earliest clocks to come to Japan from missionaries and merchants had to be adapted to Japanese time. The Japanese clock makers had many challenges adapting these clocks. They also had the problem as a nation they were very isolationist after the mid 17th century. Their technology in this regard somewhat lagged behind the western clocks of the period.

So what is Japanese time I hear you ask? Surely all time is measured the same, well no not for the Japanese culture in these early periods. In fact it was not until 1873 that the Japanese government adopted the 24 hour system used in the West and the Gregorian calendar.

Adjustable Clock Divisions

Japanese time required 6 hours in the daytime from sunrise to sunset and 6 hours at night, from sunset to sunrise. As a result of the seasons these time periods were unequal and the divisions on Japanese clocks had to be adjustable. This was called unequal temporal hours. Daylight hours were longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, with the opposite at night. Clearly this produced problems and the European system of equal hours that did not vary with seasons was far simpler.

Rare Clocks Shitan Wood

The Japanese pillar clock pictured here is a rare example that is a striking example, most are timepiece. It is also weight driven. It has a verge escapement, beautifully turned pillars and a foliot escapement. As the clock winds out the indicator tells the time by the scales on the door. Typical clocks had six numbered hours from 9 to 4 which counted backwards from noon to midnight. The dials did not have the numbers 1 to 3 for religious reasons. Dawn and dusk were marked as the sixth hour in Japanese timekeeping. A list of the strange dials for the hours is given on Wikipedia, please take a look.

The name pillar clocks comes from the fact they used to hang from the pillars or posts of the Japanese houses. These clocks were generally made from a wood called Shitan. Clearly because of the fragile nature of the construction only a few have survived and they are highly sought after. The movements go for just 1 day on a wind.

Summary

I hope you all have a happy and most important of all healthy Christmas and New Year. Soon restarting my antique clock blog in the New Year. I hope you have enjoyed and hopefully learned something from them. Again have a lovely holiday and see you soon.

 

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Clocks for sale

I have now written many blogs about important aspects of antique clocks. Many of these blogs relate to how to find more information about a particular antique clock Setting up antique clocks, the history of antique clocks or timekeeping antique clocks Lessons in finding a genuine antique clock or even advice if you are considering a career in restoring antique clocks. I hope I have showed you there are many pitfalls in choosing antique clocks for sale. You can learn more from visiting our website www.pendulumofmayfair.co.uk.

Where to Find Clocks?

The truth is there are literally thousands of places you can source your antique clock for your home. I am sure you have seen clocks in many places like dusty old curiosity shops. Local, regional and famous auction houses, ebay, and maybe even the odd car boot sale. I want to stress the importance of buying from someone who is a long established expert in the field. They should give you a written guarantee than the item you are interested in, is a genuine antique. There is nothing worse many years later someone knowledgable coming around to dinner telling what you thought was your prize and joy has been butchered.

Reputable Clock Dealer

It will be more expensive buying from a long established reputable dealer offering a money back guarantee. It is worth it in the end though. I have also noticed that with the auction houses some of the prices realized are actually even higher than equivalent for restored examples in dealers shops. People seem to enjoy buying at auction. Remember this is not a place for anyone other than trained experts. Read the conditions in the backs of many auction house catalogues.

Check conditions of Sale in Auctions

Auctions are basically buyer beware. Some auction houses also now charge as much as 30% plus VAT commission on the buying price. The price you bid is not the price you pay and it is easy to get carried away bidding in an auction house.  Yes I may have considerable bias, as I believe you should always buy from a specialist dealer like ourselves. That is if you want a clock or lovely piece of furniture that comes with a guarantee.  I also would recommend buying a genuine picture though from an established picture dealer not an auction house. You are then covered by a written guarantee and are paying for the dealers knowledge and experience. Also when to comes to these items and especially clocks, we at Pendulum of Mayfair Ltd have our own sympathetic restoration facility. Items purchased at auction or elsewhere will normally need lots of money spending on restoration after purchase. Clocks need to work properly, you will not get any guarantees that they will do so from auctions.

Conclusion

To sum up therefore there are lots of antique clocks out there that seem a good deal. On closer inspection this may not always be the case. A changed movement, a new base, there are many factors which reduce the value of an antique clock. In looking for places with antique clocks for sale , my recommendation is to buy from only long established dealers. They will given you a written money back guarantee that the item is genuine.  I do not believe we will be beaten on price at Pendulum of Mayfair Ltd, like for like. We offer sympathetically restored antique clocks and furniture at affordable prices in London and Cheshire.

World Wide Exports

We sell to all four corners of the globe. A specialist antique shipper ships all our items to your front door. We also have comprehensive setting up instructions for all our antique clocks. The world wide web has made it possible buying from anywhere in the world an easy task. Although I always recommend to buy your antique clock in person. You can then touch it, smell it and speak directly to the person selling. Clearly this is not always possible in today’s manic world. We will provide many high profile references on request, and we usually know someone that has purchased from us in your neighborhood. If visiting the shop is not possible, speak to us on the phone or by e.mail and realize what makes us tick ! Trusting the person you are buying from is essential when buying antiques of any sort.

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Antique Bracket Clocks

 

The purpose of this blog is to trace the antique bracket clock from its beginnings. This started at the latter end of the 17th century up until the mid 19th century or Regency Period in England.

Best Clocks in the World

During the entire period that I have mentioned above, clock making in Britain was acknowledged to be the best anywhere in the world. Clock makers in the UK maintained this position until at least the mid 19th century. Then imports arrived on our shores from France, Germany and eventually the USA. Clock makers in the UK refused to lower standards and change to the manufacturing methods used by our continental neighbors and those further afield.

Fusee Mechanisms

I have mentioned in my previous blog about lots of different antique clocks. These were manufactured in the UK during our supremacy in the field of clockmaking. I have only really touched on antique bracket clocks. Examples of such clocks can be found on our clocks site by clicking here. I only mentioned these in my piece in antique clock descriptions.Touching on them, describing the differences between mantel clocks and bracket clocks.

During the 18th century,’ the great Georgian period of clockmaking’, many thousands of lovely bracket clocks were manufactured. These at the time were actually costlier to produce than the equivalent longcase clock.

More Expensive making Fusee Bracket than Longcase Clocks

It was expensive making the springs and the fusee’s. The fusee was an ingenious invention. The spring slackens off over the week and before the invention of the fusee, timekeeping would become more eratic. The clock would thus go slower. On fusee clocks however the power delivery is evened out over the course of the week.

 

Bracket Clocks were only produced by the top clock makers

Bracket clocks were thus only really manufactured by the top makers in the 17th/early to mid 18th century During this time you will find most manufactured in and around London. Clearly the skills were available in London and the customers were there that could afford them. Bracket clocks were also made in the large towns of the UK, but you will not find many provincial bracket clocks, especially early in the 18th century. You will find most provincial bracket clocks dating from the end of the 18th century and on into the 19th century. There are always exceptions though.

Balance Wheel Escapement

The earliest form of escapements were called the balance wheel. Only a handful of these type of clocks still exist. The vast majority of the bracket clocks up to about C1760 were controlled by a ‘verge’ escapement. You will see on lots of these clocks a window on the dial This is where you can see the pendulum swinging by means of a circular brass disc. This brass disc has a connecting rod to the verge bob pendulum at the rear of the clock.

Different woods used

The bracket clocks made up to the mid 18th century, tend to be ebonized. Actual ebony (rare) or walnut veneered, sometimes even marquetry on walnut. In the following years mahogany is used. After 1800 you will see the introduction of more exotic woods like rosewoods and other fruit woods. You will also see the introduction around C1760 of the anchor escapement.

Verge Escapement

The verge escapement was great in so much that the crown wheel was at right angles to other wheels in the train. Therefore and was far easier to put and stay in beat. i.e. not so temperamental to being knocked. The disadvantage of the verge escapement is that the timekeeping is far less accurate than the later anchor escapements. For this reason some original verge escapements are later converted to anchor. This needs to be checked when buying as it is nice to get an original example of either.

Engraved Backplates

The other big difference with the verge earlier clocks, many have profusely engraved backplates. Some anchor escapements have these around C 1760 as well but the later you go through the 18th century, the fine detailing and engraving gets less and less. Around C1800 only a border of engraving is common on the bracket clocks. After C 1800 most bracket clocks have no engraving and at best only the makers name engraved to the backplate.

Conclusion

I will finish this by mentioning the name bracket clocks. I am sure you will assume they all stood on a seperate bracket, but this is not the case. Only a very few had a purpose made bracket. Most were just to be placed on your sideboard or chest of drawers or fireplace. The back door of many 18th century bracket clocks is glazed Meaning you can see the finely engraved backplate on your fireplace, by putting a mirror behind the clock. Clocks commonly have a pull repeat feature to let you know the hours and sometimes the quarters. This was important with no electricity. A string could be put by your bed that was connected to the clocks rack mechanism this would let you know either the last hour or next hour, or on some like I say the hour and the quarter. i.e. 4.15.

Highly Sought After Clocks

Genuine Bracket clocks are highly sought after, especially smaller original examples. Larger examples are easier to find and are less commercial as a rule. All bracket clocks tend to go for a minimum of ‘8-days’. Longer duration examples are also possible. Visit our homepage at www.pendulumofmayfair.co.uk for more information.

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The most famous clock in the world – Big Ben

Big Ben

 

The worlds most photographed antique clock has been standing proudly to dominate London’s skyline for over 150 years. Big Ben is how everyone has come to call it,  is the nickname for the great bell of the clock. Now everyone refers to Big Ben as the overall clock and tower. The tower as it so happens is to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of the Queen. This is to celebrate the Queen’s 60 year reign.

Great Tom

The clock tower as we know today as ‘Big Ben’ is not the first clock tower to stand in Parliament’s grounds. The first tower nicknamed ‘Great Tom’ was built in 1288-90. A second tower replaced the first in 1367 and this was the first chiming public clock in England. In 1707 this tower had fallen into a state of disrepair and was demolished. When a terrible fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster in 1834, architects submitted designs for the new Palace. Of the 97 designs submitted, Sir Charles Barry’s was picked. His design did not originally have a clock tower but this was added to his design in 1836. Construction of this tower began in 1843.

Dent Clockmaker

Clearly the manufacture of the mechanism for the clock needed to be done by a specialist. The Queens clockmaker at the time was Vulliamy and he wanted to design and make the clock. Other specialist clockmakers also believed they should make the clock. A series of disputes therefore resulted and it was decided to appoint a referee to make the decision on who made the clock. The decision was left to the Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy. He set the standards by which the clock must keep, Denision a barrister and gitfted amateur clockmaker assisted in this decision.

Delays in Building Big Ben

All this led to delays in the decision. It was not until Feb 1852 that it was decided that Dent was to  build the clock to Denison’s own design. Dent died in 1853 and so the clock was completed by Dents stepson, Frederick in 1854. It cost £2,500 to make. The tower itself was still not finished though and so the clock was kept at Dents factory in the meantime.

Denison Design

Denison made refinements to the clock while waiting for the clock tower to be finished (1859). He invented a ‘Double Three-legged Gravity Escapement’. This was a revolutionary and an ingenious invention and refinement. It made sure the pendulum was unaffected by external factors, such as wind pressure on the clock hands. A constant impulse was always applied to the pendulum. This escapement won worldwide acclaim, it is now known as the ‘ Grimthorpe escapement’, and Denision was later made Baron Grimthorpe in 1886 as a result.

Long Pendulum of Big Ben

The pendulum to the clock is 13 feet long and installed in a windproof box, it beats every 2 seconds. On top of this pendulum there are old coins. Adding weight to the top of the pendulum will lift the pendulum’s centre of gravity and thus shorten the effective length of the pendulum. This has the effect of speeding the clock up by just under half a second a day.

Symbol of London Big Ben

The clock has become one of the main symbols for the United Kingdom and London in particular. From the news programs like ITN to New Year celebrations, to General Election’s end of voting. Big Ben is the centre of our life. It stands proud and has had numerous years superb service. It has sted the test of time and London would not be the same without it. A truly remarkable achievement. The clocks Westminster Chime is typical of clocks after C.1860 and is found on many modern clocks. Most Georgian antique clocks just strike the hour on a single bell.

Daniel Clements – www.pendulumofmayfair.co.uk

 

 

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Public clocks

Chester Eastgate Clock

In this piece I will be carrying on from researching antique clock makers. I suggested visiting the 17th/18th century church in the town your grandfather clock was built. Clock makers often repaired the local church clock. These public clocks used what we call Turret clock movements to operate a series of dials in the church tower.

Turret Clocks

Most churches generally had a clock in the tower. A turret clock is the technical name for any large exterior public clock. These clocks can be in churches, town halls, banks, stable blocks, pretty much anywhere. We have installed these in homes and shops as a centre piece.

Outside Clocks Mechanical or Electric

Modern day clocks like this may use electric motors to drive the hands. All antique turret clocks have a large mechanical movement, the frame is normally made of cast iron. The movement is driven by large weights and a large pendulum. Normally the escapement will beat 1 1/4 seconds or more, this is why you will not normally see seconds hands on these public clocks.  The public only ever normally see the clock dial, which again is normally a cast iron dial, with counter balanced clock hands. The hands will need to be counter balanced to stop them swinging down to the six o’clock position and stopping the clock. For more information e.mail mePendulumClocks@aol.com.

Timepiece or Striking Public Clocks

The clocks movements can be timepiece or they can normally strike the hour on a single bell. Maintenance is required every 20 years or so and oiling every year. They are built basically along the same lines as a grandfather clock movement but everything is on a larger scale. Information about turret clocks can be found in various places on the internet. The company Smiths of Derby are still in existence and they still make and repair turret clocks today.

Chester Eastgate Clock

The clock pictured on my blog is a famous clock from the town of Chester. Chester a lovely northern city, the clock is called the Eastgate Clock. The mechanism was manufactured by the famous clockmakers Joyce of Whitchurch. Chester’s Eastgate Clock has 4 dials. The time can be seen from Chesters famous Roman walls and from the streets from the other two sides. This clock is one of the most photographed in the world. I think we all know what the no.1 photographed clock is in the world. In my blog next week we will look at this clock, the one and only Big Ben.

 

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Collecting Antiques

I get asked many times about what I would choose if I was starting a collection of antique grandfather clocks.  We feel privileged in helping many special customers and friends source their own private antique clock collections. The most important part if you are deciding to build your own antique clock collection is to purchase them somewhere you can get a guarantee they are genuine.  I would also take you time in building up this collection, it can not be achieved overnight.

What type of clocks to collect?

I believe the greatest antique grandfather clocks were produced between C1680 and C1820. I am now going to suggest a possible date and styles that you could choose to form this collection. It is true you might prefer a particular style of antique clock and then you could just collect this style. There is nothing wrong in doing this. You may prefer just famous London makers from the 17th and early 18th centuries like Thomas Thompion or Edward East or George Graham. I have no problem in collectors heading down this route.

Broad spectrum of clocks

A route I will suggest here is a broad spectrum of special antique clocks from the entire range of the period suggested above. The collection could be increased still further from what is listed below by different dial shapes or antique clocks from different towns also showing distinctive case features.

Examples of Interest

1)

I think it is important to start your collection with a special early example of a London marquetry brass square dial grandfather clock by a reknowned but not necessary ultra famous maker. This clock will date from around C1690 and be a good ‘8-day’ example, usually with a lentical to the trunk door.

2)

I think next on the list would be a good ‘8-day’ or ‘month’ duration English burr walnut square brass dial grandfather clock, again by a good London clockmaker.

3)

I think it is then important to source a good arch or square brass dial early lacquer clock from C1715. This again will be a London area example.

4)

A burr-walnut arched brass dial caddy top London grandfather clock is also essential to any collection. These tend to date from C1715 to C1750.

5)

A good early arched or square brass dial provincial oak grandfather clock should form part of any collection. These dating from early to mid 18th century. These will be good ‘8-day’ examples with maybe an early ‘penny’ moon feature or automaton to the arch or dial centre.

The clocks do not have to cost the earth.

6)

An early oak or maybe pine 30 hour duration clock with brass square dial would be nice in any collection.

7)

Moving on to my favourite period in antique clocks from C1760 onwards. A good C1770 London mahogany arched brass dial is vital.

8

A superb London mahogany arch white dial  ‘8-day’ grandfather clock.

9)/10)11)

Moon examples of 7 and 8 are also important to any collection, as is an automaton example.

12)

A good Manchester moonphase grandfather clock from around C1770

13)

A typical Liverpool moonphase grandfather clock from around C1770

14)

A typical Bristol tidal times moonphase mahogany grandfather clocks from around C1770

15)

A typical Hull pagoda top mahogany grandfather clock from around C1770/C1790

16)

A good Edinburgh grandfather clock from the end of the 18th century

17)

A good white dial Dundee or thereabouts mhaogany arch dial grandfather clock from C1790

18)

A good London with attached hood columns arched brass dial mahogany grandfather clock.

19)

A good London with attached hood columns square silvered brass dial mahogany grandfather clock.

20)

Various Precision Regulator examples with the differing means of pendulum compensation.

 

Conclusion

I have tried to form the basis of a wide ranging collection This could be a good tool for you to start building your own antique clock collection.  Clearly there are some great clocks from other provincial towns around the country that I have not mentioned. You can also throw in some special provincial makers like Barber or Ogden or Deacon to the mix. I suppose a wide ranging collection should encompace as many differing cabinet styles from all the areas of the UK. These may also include one from the west coast of Scotland, or Ireland, even though I am not a big fan of the typical 18th century case styles from the these areas.  This is just a personal taste though and one clock from each place as an example would not be out of place in any collection. I suppose this depends on space and finance though. I believe a minimum of 25 grandfather clocks would be required to be purchased to obtain a good overall wide ranging collection. This can then be bulked out if necessary be adding more towns or special collectible makers. Clock collecting can be quite addictive.

– Daniel Clements – Pendulum of Mayfair Ltd 51 Maddox street, London –

 

 

 

 

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Regional Characteristics of Antique Grandfather Clocks

Antique grandfather clock cabinet production was separate from the clock maker. The clock maker just produced the fine antique clock movements. As you can imagine communities stayed very much together during the early years and people did not travel long distances. As a result you will notice every area of the country in the 18th century had a very different case style. It is very easy to place the manufacture of an antique clock cabinet from just a very few features on the case.

Case Styles on Antique Clocks

Further case styles can be found by clicking here.

London cabinet designs changed only slightly during the 18th century. You will see after C 1720 and up to C 1800 usually two plinths, moulding to trunk door and high quality walnut, mahogany veneers or fine lacquer work cases. Examples of this can be seen below. After about C 1800 London clocks can lose the second plinth and the moulding to the door, but you will still see them being quite similar in design. You will also find these close similarities in cases of clocks within 50 miles or so of London. Many clock makers actually bought London style cases in these areas.

London Case Styles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scottish case styles

You will find many regional designs of cabinets. After looking for a while you will get a good idea of where the clock maker was based from just looking a certain case features. In Scotland for example, especially the East Coast you get some wonderful cases from C1770 to c1810. They are all very slender, shaped top to the trunk door, high proportion base and standing on bracket feet. The most similar characteristic is the swan neck pediments to the hood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Western UK Case Styles

You will also find Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol cabinets to be quite distinctive. In the 18th century these areas were very wealthy, especially because of the trade going on with the West Indies and the USA. Manchester was the birth place for the industrial revolution. Cabinets in Manchester and Liverpool, tend to be quite large with quite imposing features,  Og feet, Corinthian columns, fine veneers. You will see a typical high quality Liverpool case below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bristol was another very important port in the 18th century and the clocks made in this part of the country are very distinctive. Wobbly doors are very common and scenes engraved to dial are very popular, pierced swan neck pediments and OG bracket feet show the fine cabinet work. Again it is easy to see the wealth in this part of the country in the 18th century, the cases are very flambouyant. Understanding case design and the styles of the various parts of the UK cabinet design is important when looking to buy an antique grandfather clock. You can use this knowledge with further research to pinpoint all those important questions that you need reassurance with, when purchasing antique grandfather clocks. Our shop Pendulum of Mayfair takes all these worries away from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Vienna or German Wall Clock ?

The term ‘Vienna Regulator’ wall clock is commonly used to describe a narrow weight driven wall clock. All these clocks seem bundled together in one big group. This is wrong in my opinion. There should be a clear differentiation between a true ‘Vienna Regulator’ clock and the later ‘Vienna Style Regulator’ wall clock or properly described as a ‘German  Regulator’ wall clock.

Austrian or German Wall Regulator Clocks

Vienna regulator wall clocks are very special and an original example can be very expensive. These clocks were manufactured throughout the 19th century, but most were made from about C1800 to C1850. These clocks were  hand made and of very fine quality. These clocks are also very simple and very elegant. As the value of clocks like this are high many of these type of clocks coming onto the market in recent years are copies. Only buy an early Vienna wall clock from a specialist antique clock dealer. They should give you a money back guarantee that it is genuine and fully restored.

Quality decreases as clocks get more modern

German wall regulators can still be nice clocks. I particularly like the first 10 or 20 years they were made from about C 1860. After C 1880 these clocks become very ornate and the quality tends to decrease. These clocks were made in factories specifically set up to produce them. With the typical German efficiency, lots of these clocks were produced. The value is alot lower than the earlier Austrian handmade examples.

 

How to tell the difference?

I often get asked how do you tell if I have got a German wall regulator or an earlier Austrian example. The easiest way you can tell the difference is that German weight driven wall clocks often have an imitation second hand to the dial. Austrian wall clocks did not normally use this feature, unless the clock could actually beat seconds. A seconds pendulum means the pendulum will need to be about 1 meter long.

Is it a true seconds indicator?

If you timed the period of 1 rotation on a German wall clock of the so called seconds hand, it will take about 40 seconds. It was in effect just a gimmick, put on the dial just for looks. The Austrians were purists and did not do this. An example of a true Austrian Vienna wall clock will a proper seconds hand is pictured above. You will notice the clock is very long. You will also see two examples below.A German wall regulator and an Austrian vienna regulator. See if you can see which one is which from my reasoning above.

Daniel Clements

 

 

 

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Antique Clocks Work in Modern Setting

I have worked in the field of antiques all my life. One specialist sideline I have is in interior design. Interior design is an important part of any home and should be considered before any purchase.

Family Business

I love antiques and it is my belief that an antique grandfather clock should be central to any new interior design project. Antique clocks provide a superb focal point to any room. They add so much character to any room setting. Visit our website for great ideas and choice.

Do antiques work in the modern house or setting?

It is a misnomer that you can not furnish a new home with antiques and that you need an old 18th century house. Antiques fit in any home to compliment the decor. I have designed very modern chrome interior houses and filled them with some special antique items. They work really well together with a few select modern items. Do not think you can not use antiques to furnish a modern designer home. You will be surprised at how well they work in this regard.

Less is More

A few special items can bring a loving lived in feel to your home.

At Pendulum of Mayfair Ltd we can arrange a full interior design service. We provide recommendations and special prices for complete house designs. Please contact me today to ask for more details.

Daniel Clements