Mystery Auction Mantel Clock HELP! | ||
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Posted 10 years ago
lissaline
(1 item)
We picked this up at a local auction. We just fell in love with it and would appreciate any feedback as to type, year or maker. It needs work but we will not part with this one. Anyone have any ideas? Please and thank you!
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Hi , cool clock ... is it wood / slate or marble ???
I have one thats made in U.S.A which is black & made of wood with gold coloured bits all over ...
i have a customer who has one made of glossy slate which is English & more like this one shape wise, but the patterns are like mine ..
have you looked at the mechanism cos it will normally have the maker & poss a date .. open the back & take some more pics ;-)
In order to help identify your clock, please provide the following:
Any and all information printed, stamped or labeled on the dial, movement, case, pendulum and key. This includes names, trademarks, serial/model/patent numbers and dates.
If mechanical, how often does it need to be re-wound?
Measurements of the dial and case. Please take measurements at the longest, widest, and deepest points only.
Well lit photos of the entire case, with close-ups of the dial, movement and any distinctive decorative feature(s) or labels.
Please note if the case appears to have a simulated or "faux" finish.
Any provenance information.
This information will be very helpful, but it still may not lead to a definitive model or date.
Thank you so very mucb for your input, here is some additional information.
The interior has several numbers on it. The back says 2008 48, then there 4050 AN on the side of the interior rim. There's L. Brocot B(indistinguishable) S.G.D.G. around a small dial. Another area shows 5 RV and an 80 and an A under the porcelain face. It appears to be a black stone or slate.
I also posted some additional pictures.
Hi lissaline. Thanks for posting the additional information. The movement is French and has a Brocot suspension adjustment (to regulate speed) which is commonly found on such movements. It was invented & patented by Louis Brocot circa mid 1800s. B.S.G.D.G. stands for Brevete Sans Garantie du Gouvernement which translated means patent without government guarantee. It looks like a nice quality movement with a Rack and Snail Strike mechanism. Unfortunately, that doesn't really tell us who made the clock, when it was made and what the model name was. French clocks are notoriously difficult to identify as there were many "Clock Makers" who cased movements made by other French Companies. On top of that, many business records were destroyed during the European "World Wars". I can tell you that there is something called the "Rack Tail" which is caught behind the Snail Mechanism. Look closely at the first picture in your Posting. The Brass "Snail" has a gear around it. The Rack Tail is behind the gear, it should be in front of the gear so that it can contact the Snail. This mechanism is how the movement counts the number of hours to strike. If it gets bound up, it can stop the movement. Don't force anything but gently try to free the Rack Tail so that it can operate as it is supposed to. The specifics of a such a mechanism are different from one design to another but the general principles are the same. See this link for help: http://ticktocktony.com/Clock-Repair-How-To-Articles/rack-strike-mechanism.html
Hope that helps a little.
Perhaps another collector more familiar with French Clocks can be of further assistance.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you very much! I will try and carefully fix the Rack Tail. The only other thing I think I forgot to mention is that on one of the cylinders in the interior are either a "G" or a "C T" etched by hand. I tried to get a good photo but couldn't quite capture it well enough. Does that lead to any further information? If not I am pleased as punch at the information you have given me.
Thank you ever so much for your time!
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Anything written or scribed in the brass by hand would probably have been done by a clock repair person. Sometimes marks are made to help keep the parts to the various gear trains identified. Usually one finds either and "S" for Strike or "T" for time but it would depend upon the language and preference of the clock smith. That would be my guess.