Antique English Clock

From The American Horologist magazine, April 1945

Antique English Clock
By W. H. Samelius

The accompanying photograph is one of a very unusual clock. It stand's 15 inches high and about 4 inches in depth. The frame was made from quarter inch brass, hardened by hammering as was customary years ago, making the brass almost as hard as steel.

The back and front plates were identically designed, it has a fusee chain drive and a recoil escapement with an eleven inch pendulum. The plates highly burnished on all edges and the surface of the plates were polished. The dial was silver plated with enamel figures and the clock stands on a marble base with glass dome for protection.

This clock was evidently made as a masterpiece for some special purpose, possibly for nobility. In checking through the train, we find there was no maintaining power. John Harrison of England invented the maintaining power for fusees about 1750 so it stands to reason the artist that built this beautiful clock would have included the maintaining power were it in existence at the time.

The clock was brought to this country over 100 years ago and has been in possession of the same family ever since, passing from one generation to another. It is in wonderful state of preservation, shows practically no wear except the pallet which was restored. The clock is now running remarkably close. The illustrations show the front and back plates.