Posted 5 years ago
PLandvatter
(1 item)
Just rediscovered and am enjoying this heirloom. It works well and I’m glad I have the key. Curious as to its age. It has “Sessions” imprinted on the clock face and the label on the back indicates it is E. N. Welch from Forestville, Conn. There is a number in pencil on the back and it looks like it was repaired in 1917? There is some writing in pencil.
I forgot to mention it is a Sessions as well.
Hello!
Welcome to CW. You have a Black Mantel Clock made of enameled wood.
Sessions bought out the Welch Clock Co. in 1902 and by 1903 they started manufacturing clocks under the Sessions name.
Thanks for sharing your heirloom with us.
Bruce
Be careful winding and running it. These clocks have fairly strong mainsprings. If it hasn't been serviced in a while, you may wish to have it looked at by a reputable clock shop. It may just need oil. It may need much more.
See this link for a brief discussion of the two companies:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/clocks/sessions
For a while, during the transition, the Sessions labels read
"The Sessions Clock Company
Successors to the E. N. Welch MFG Company
Forrestville, CONN, USA"
You can make out some of that text on the remnants of your clock's label.
To see a more intact label, see this link:
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/sessions-clocks-age-names.117304/
Unfortunately, the name of your clock Model which would normally be printed near the top of the label is gone and I can't find an exact match to your clock in either my Welch nor Sessions references.
I would guess that your clock is from around 1905 give or take a couple of years, but that's just a guess based on similar models.
First off, lovely clock. You've been told the Sessions bought out E. N. Welch in 1902. It's true. The sale was contingent on a few stipulations, one being that all E. N. Welch clock models still being sold by the Sessions bare Welch's name too; the other being, that Welch share in 'his model' profits as well.
With these clues we can extrapolate yours is an E. N. Welch model sold by the Sessions. So, yours is technically a "Sessions," though a brainchild of Welch. The Sessions did the best they could to quickly eliminate Welch models to cut him out as soon as possible.
In my life, and I'm 60, I have only seen one similar clock to yours, and it sat on the mantle of the fireplace of the foster home I lived in: the home of a one, Bob and Judy Sessions. That's right, Bob was the son of The Sessions Clock Company's owner. The fact that the son of the factory owner chose a clock similar to yours when he could have literally chose any clock he wanted, tells me you have a certain treasure. I predict these clocks' prices are going to explode and soon.
Hold onto it!
That's very interesting rhvTV. I didn't know that about the Welch/Sessions transition. Thanks for sharing. I wish I shared your optimism regarding prices. They never recovered following the 2008 recession. I could be wrong but I think that the effects of Covid-19 are being hid by the stock market prices, which are being propped up by the Fed. Regards.