Lot Essay
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: Trade catalogue, J. Smith & Sons, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell, London, 1865, fig.89.
A Victorian regulator of closely related design, unsigned but attributed to John Smith & Sons, was sold Christie's London, Important Clocks, Watches and Precision Timepieces, 12 July 1995, lot 423. Another was sold Sotheby's London, Good Clocks, Watches, Wristwatches and Barometers, 14 December 1989, lot 270. A regulator with comparable case but skeletonised dial was sold Sotheby's London, Important Clocks, Watches, Scientific Instruments and the Arqueonautas Collection of Marine Archaeology, 19 December 2000, lot 300.
Established in 1780 Smith and Sons of Clerkenwell were one of the most important manufacturers of clocks in mid 19th century England. In a lengthy article in the Illustrated London News of 20 September 1851 Smiths were upheld as a good example of modern production methods and particular note was made of the advantages large operations such as Smith's held over smaller operators (see Derek Roberts, British Skeleton Clocks, Antique Collectors' Club, 1987, pp.260-267).
A Victorian regulator of closely related design, unsigned but attributed to John Smith & Sons, was sold Christie's London, Important Clocks, Watches and Precision Timepieces, 12 July 1995, lot 423. Another was sold Sotheby's London, Good Clocks, Watches, Wristwatches and Barometers, 14 December 1989, lot 270. A regulator with comparable case but skeletonised dial was sold Sotheby's London, Important Clocks, Watches, Scientific Instruments and the Arqueonautas Collection of Marine Archaeology, 19 December 2000, lot 300.
Established in 1780 Smith and Sons of Clerkenwell were one of the most important manufacturers of clocks in mid 19th century England. In a lengthy article in the Illustrated London News of 20 September 1851 Smiths were upheld as a good example of modern production methods and particular note was made of the advantages large operations such as Smith's held over smaller operators (see Derek Roberts, British Skeleton Clocks, Antique Collectors' Club, 1987, pp.260-267).