Posted 13 years ago
greely1
(69 items)
Nice New Haven banjo. The original casing is Mahogony. The glass in the center piece is original The workings are new and runs fine and chimes on the 30 and 60. Keeps great time. It is large (about 40 inches long). Have no idea of value. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
Hi, beautiful Banjo. New Haven had a model called the "Willard" which measures 41 inches in height and 12 1/4 inches in width. That might be the case that you have but if the original movement has been replaced with new workings then the historical value is gone and it's impossible to say what its market is. Enjoy!
Thanks for the info. When I purchased it was just a case. I loved the size and design--so I bought it and promptly had the fixins put in. Still enjoy it and it looks good in our living room. I did look this up and I believe it is a Williard. Same design and size.
You're very welcome. The "Williard" was circa 1911 - 1929. They must have named it after Simon Williard who was credited with inventing the "Banjo" style in 1802. The Banjos still had long pendulums and were very accurate for their era so they started to take the place of the larger, much more expensive Tall Cases. The Banjo was the first successful American design in antique clocks and represented a significant advancement in the production of affordable clocks. You have a beautiful, well made clock and a historical conversation piece. You certainly would be hard pressed to find a modern clock case that looks as good and is made as well as yours. I'd say that is pretty valuable. Nice save!