Posted 4 years ago
staclaiz76
(1 item)
This was my great great grandfathers clock . It was given to my father who recently passed away. not that its for sale or anything its says made in the usa on the inside and stamped 1916 j on bottom
Seth Thomas Mantle Clock | ||
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Hello Staclaiz76.
Welcome to Collectors Weekly, Clocks.
I'm sorry for the recent loss of your father.
It looks like he took good care of his father's Seth Thomas, which is now your clock.
Seth Thomas had an exclusive patent on a Celluloid material called Adamantine. It was used as a veneer placed over softwood cases to make them resemble marble, or finished hardwood materials. It was also used to replicate Onyx columns.
In your clock's case, it looks like the Adamantine/Celluloid pattern and color was meant to imitate mahogany with yellow onyx columns.
You can look online under the keywords "Seth Thomas Adamantine" to find more detailed information on the material and how Seth Thomas successfully used it in the American Marketplace. As a matter of fact, Collectors Weekly has an excellent, concise history of the company which can be found right here: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/clocks/seth-thomas
Adamantine usually ages very well. It can be cleaned using non-abrasive hand cleaners like GOJO (without pumice), or Goop applied on clean, soft rags or paper towels/q-tips. A good auto carnuba wax will help preserve it. Keep it away from strong light as the material can fade and oxidize. It can become a little brittle with age so handle your clock with care. The columns may crack and the veneer might begin to flake off near the edges.
The date code:
From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the Seth Thomas Clock Co. dated its clocks with an unusual system. They lettered the months with the first 12 letters of the alphabet and stamped the year backwards.
For an example, a clock that was manufactured in January 1901 would bear a stamp that looks like "1091 A", but that wasn't always the case.
Your clock's date code is a little tricky in that it is difficult to determine which way is right-side up.19161. Putting things into context and considering the dates provided, it's probable that Seth Thomas was transitioning away from that reverse date format. They used several different date codes during their very long run (1853 through 2009). I think that your clock was probably manufactured in 1916. I don't know if the month letter is an "I" or a "J" though. You'll have to be the judge of that. If it's an "I", that would correspond to September. It it's a "J", October.
I can't find the model name of your clock in my references, but Seth Thomas made a LOT of different Adamantine Models. It was a very successful line for them. I can't see the entire movement but it looks like your clock may use their No. 89 8-day Time and Strike movement. That was one of their better, widely used movements.
It's a good runner and accurate time-keeper for a mass-produced, antique mechanical clock mechanism.
You asked about price. I would suggest that you look at eBay to get a sense of what these types of clocks are currently selling for. Condition makes a world of difference , of course. You should look at "As Is" examples. For your convenience, here is a link to eBay listings sorted from high to low prices:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=seth+thomas+adamantine+clock&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=17331&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=16&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&LH_Complete=1&_fosrp=1
As you can see, fully serviced/restored/original models can go for several hundred dollars. Derelicts can go for $100 or less.
I hope that helps.
Thanks for sharing your family heirloom clock with us.
Bruce