Posted 14 years ago
SMD
(82 items)
Posting this on behalf of my brother & sister-in-law. Does anyone have any information about this Seth Thomas ship clock? Year, value, etc.? The wood mounting is not original, it's just to display the clock.
My brother would like to find out information about this clock but has not been able to find anything online (found a similar clock, but not same one). Can anyone help?
Hi Sarah,
Let me start with a disclaimer that I'm not really certain about my conclusions below, but based upon what I can see in the photos here is what I think your brother has a unique, customized and very nice looking Seth Thomas Ship's Clock (with Bell?):
American clock manufacturers used to manufacture dials with "windows" to demonstrate their "New and Improved" all-brass movements to help market their clocks. That was around the 1840 - 1860 time frame. This certainly isn't that old or that type of clock.
When you look closely at the edges of the window in your clock's dial (second photo) you can see faint wavy signs of hand tooling. It appears that at some point in time, someone skillfully cut out part of the original face to reveal the motion work and surrounding movement. It was done very well, but you do not see the perfectly straight machined edges that a manufacturing process would give. In a 2 dimensional outline, the cut is nearly perfect. It's the flash bouncing off of the waves in the dial's thickness that gave it away.
Assuming that the dial has been altered I was able match what's left of the original with an illustration of a dial from the Seth Thomas "Coast Guard" Chronometer & Lever, circa 1941. The "Coast Guard" was manufactured with Brass as well as Bakelite cases. This could be a marriage of parts from more than one clock.
Someone with mechanical skills and a love for the internal workings of a clock (a.k.a. A Clockmaker) customized and perhaps rebuilt this clock to their own specifications.
As far as market value is concerned, it's whatever the clock is worth to your brother. It's an "art of work".
Best regards
Thanks, Bruce! That is really interesting about the clock being customized & rebuilt. I will share this information with my brother, he will be grateful to know more about it.
You're welcome Sarah. Your brother can examine his clock closely with that possibility in mind. It's just my opinion. The photos are very good with more detail than most, but there is only so much a couple of photos can show. Please let me know if he thinks it is likely or unlikely.