A BRASS-MOUNTED EBONISED ARCHITECTURAL QUARTER-CHIMING LONGCASE CLOCK WITH 1¼ SECONDS PENDULUM

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Property of The Late Mr. H. G. Hammond (1910-2006) H. G. Hammond, always known as Ian, developed a passionate interest in horology during the middle years of his long and interesting life. An architect by profession, he started collecting rare antique clocks, many of which are included in this sale. A self-taught horologist, he also built many clocks, working to a very high standard. It was on a visit to the Museum Speelklock in Utrecht that he met Dr. Haspels, the then director of the museum. Their friendship blossomed and, as a result, work began on some very fine musical clocks which can be seen in the Netherlands. The first of these clocks was a copy of the famous musical chamber clock by Nicholas Vallin (1598) in the British Museum. Indeed, there are some of Ian's clocks at the British Museum and they form the other part of his collection. The lots offered below reflect the keen horological eye of Mr. Hammond and represent a variety of styles spanning three centuries.

A BRASS-MOUNTED EBONISED ARCHITECTURAL QUARTER-CHIMING LONGCASE CLOCK WITH 1¼ SECONDS PENDULUM

THE DIAL BY WILLIAM CLEMENT, LONDON, LATE 17TH CENTURY, THE MOVEMENT BY PHILIP THORNTON, CIRCA 1935, THE CASE BELIEVED TO BE BY PERCY DAWSON, 20TH CENTURY

Details

A BRASS-MOUNTED EBONISED ARCHITECTURAL QUARTER-CHIMING LONGCASE CLOCK WITH 1¼ SECONDS PENDULUM
THE DIAL BY WILLIAM CLEMENT, LONDON, LATE 17TH CENTURY, THE MOVEMENT BY PHILIP THORNTON, CIRCA 1935, THE CASE BELIEVED TO BE BY PERCY DAWSON, 20TH CENTURY
The rising hood with spiral twist columns with Corinthian capitals, ribbon-tied foliate swags and a cartouche to the tympanum, the panelled trunk door with brass escutcheon, on bun feet, the engraved 9½ in. brass dial with silvered chapter ring, Roman hours, Arabic five minutes, the matted centre with subsidiary seconds dial, signed William Clement Londini Fecit, the eight-day movement with seven knopped and finned pillars, recoil anchor escapement, bolt and shutter maintaining power, rise and fall regulation with subsidiary dial to side of movement, with 1¼ seconds pendulum, quarter-chiming on three bells, striking on a large bell, with weights; case key
76½ in. (194 cm.) high; 14½ in. (37 cm.) wide; 7¾ in. (20 cm.) deep

Provenance

Christie's, London, 30 October 1969, lot 73.

Literature

E.L. Edwardes, The Grandfather Clock, Manchester, 1976, pp. 158-9, pls. 8-15 and 73-4.
Antiquarian Horology, March 1972, no. 6, vol. 7, p. 547.

Special notice

This lot will be removed to an off-site warehouse at the close of business on the day of sale - 2 weeks free storage

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Lot Essay

The dial and hands of this clock were given by Mr. F.H. Green in 1936 to Philip Thornton who made the movement. It took him and a colleague 413 hours for which he charged £ 42-10-0. He numbered the clock '11' but he also numbered another clock he made '11' in error. Mr. Green died before it was finished and it was bought by Mr. Ilbert who by repute referred to it as "the finest reproduction he had ever seen". It is believed that P.G. Dawson made the case.

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