101 $4750
Howard & Davis, Boston, No. 2 Banjo, ca 1855, one of the
earliest of all Howard Banjo clocks and one of the rarest. It appears to be original with the possible exception of the painted glasses.
The 8-day movement is time only and has maintaining power and dead beat escapement. The painted dial is original and has miniscule
paint loss at the screw heads. The putty around the upper glass is original and the bottom glasses were held with wood strips. The
brass pendulum bob and gold painted wood stick, pendulum tie down, and baffle board, are all correct and surely original. It even
has a winding crank that I suspect is original. The stained rosewood or fruitwood case is 44” tall, has the original finish, dark,
but never cleaned, just polished. There is good graining on the case body, none on the upper bezel, and probably never was. Both push
button door latches are intact and operating correctly although a little worn. The old iron weight is correct for the No. 2 and was
cast with the number 2 indented. I would bet it was original for the very early models and were a little different than later ones.
Some history of the clock was provided by one of the more recent owners. We can find very few recorded sales of this model but estimates
put its value at $15,000 if all original. Ly-American Clocks, Volume 2, page 132. $5000-$7500.
102. $800
Gustav Becker carved wall clock, ca 1895. The 8-day movement
is signed by Becker with their trademark circle stamp. It is running and striking a coil gong on hours and half hours. The pendulum
is correct for the movement as it takes a special attachment for both the movement and pendulum. The movement is clean, operating
and striking properly. It has a one-piece dial ring and brass inner dial, and nice original hands. The
dial ring is silver with painted numerals. There is a round glass over the dial but no glasses on the sides. Instead the sides are
carved, same with every inch of the entire case. The door has a side hook. The walnut case is 34 inches tall and 18 inches wide, clean
and polished, complete and original. The wood is very dark, probably never cleaned to remove any smoke. The inside of the case is
covered with red felt. I have sold scores of Becker clocks but this one is sure different, and very attractive. $800-$1200.
100. $350
National Time Recorder Company, London, England, ca about 1907
and continued in business until 1972. The nice clean oak case is 39 inches tall, has numerous names and markings all over. The company
name is painted on the original glass and metal dial. A sticker on the dial board says it was serviced by the company in Glasgow,
Scotland. I did not hang the brass pendulum ball/wood stick, for the picture but it is original to the clock, clean and very nice.
The door has a key lock but no key. There is a movement key. We have sold several time-clocks over the years and this one is as nice
as any we have sold. $400-$750.
99. $475
Oriental style Grandmother clock, black lacquered case embellished
liberally with Mother of Pearl and trimmed in gold leaf motifs. On the case back is a hand written “history” of the clock, dated
5-1-94, and was written by a friend of the original owning family. The note says she was, “a very proper lady of English birth that
came to America in the late 19th century”. He says the clock case was handmade in the Orient. I cannot confirm or dispute that statement.
It stands 64 inches high, is complete and appears to be all original. The movement runs 8-days and strikes a large gong on the half
hours and hours. It was running for us but I would recommend having it serviced if you intend to place it in your home. $500-$750.
98. $760
Large French brass figural clock featuring a pair of peacocks. It is 25 inches wide and 17.5 inches high, and very heavy. The metal castings are resting on a large slab of multi colored marble. There are four brass feet underneath. The 8-day round movement is signed, “Made In France”, and has a brass bell and French pendulum. It has been running consistently since it came to us. The brass dial is slightly bowed and unsigned, while the brass sash is holding a convex glass. I cannot say with certainty that the hands, pendulum, and bell are original to the clock. One peacock is missing its crest, otherwise there are no missing parts. All of the metal is dark and tarnished, apparently has never been cleaned or polished. The consignor said he purchased the clock that was part of a huge collection of French clocks. $800-$1200.
97. $1500
Seth Thomas Clock Co. “Regulator No. 1”, ca 1879. This is one of the first hanging regulators made by Seth Thomas. Many of the first weight regulators contained movements and other parts that Seth Thomas purchased from the defunct Silas B. Terry clock company. This clock has a solid round plate movement and is identical to the one pictured in Ly-Seth Thomas #843-A. A few of the early “Regulator No. 1” clocks used a long iron weight that descended down the left side of the case. This long weight is not original but is similar to the type found in a few other No. 1 cases se have seen or sold. It would also have been proper to use a small round brass weight. We have seen them both used in the early No. 1’s. The 34” walnut case has been polished/cleaned, has a furniture sheen finish, correct glasses, brass bob, and gold painted wood stick. We are not sure about the gold stripes on the lower glass. We have sold other No. 1’s with various painted gold stripes, and some plain. Excellent original signed dial and hands, bezel with side lock, groove inside the case for weight to descend. There are no extra holes around the movement or dial, leading us to believe the clock is nearly perfect with only the weight in contention. We know of at least two recent sales of this model, and not nearly as nice, in the $4000-$5000 range. Ly-Seth Thomas, pages 269-271. $2000-$3000.