|
The Horologist of London Gerald Grunsell, F.B.H.I. Longcase Clocks Bracket Clocks Barometers Clock Repairs The Horologist of London 450 Main Street Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877 203-438-4332 At the Horologist of London, we specialize in the sales, purchase, and restoration of fine antique timepieces, long case clocks, and barometers. Proprietor Gerald Grunsell, is a Fellow of the British Horological Institute, and a Master Clockmaker. Call us at 203-438-4332 Store Hours Saturday 10:00 to 4:00 Sunday's Noon to 4:00 Mahogany Longcase Clock With Inlays Aaron Brokaw, Bridgetown, New Jersey C 1790 This fine quality longcase clock was made by the grandson of Aaron Miller who is considered by many to be the earliest clockmaker of East Jersey The base is detailed with a round inlay and satinwood stringing The trunk has inlay quarter columns to create a fluted appearance The full length door has a moustache shaped top The trunk boasts oval satinwood inlays, satinwood trim, and bookend inlays The hood has two front free standing full length fluted columns with brass capitals and two solid half columns in the back The columns support a scroll pediment finished with decorative pinwheel pattera The painted white dial has raised gesso gilded corner spandrels and a cartouche in the arch with bird motif The hands are of blued steel with a secondary seconds hand and a calendar indicator The dial is signed by the maker below the calendar Height 7' 4" Flame Mahogany Longcase Clock Colin Croll, Perth, Scotland C 1818 Fine flame mahogany panels to the base and trunk door with marquetry stringing Croll was a talented horologist known for his chronometers, repeaters, musical watches and clocks Chamfered corners on the trunk Turned freestanding columns with satinwood stringing support a swan neck pediment The painted dial having corner spandrels with a cornucopia motif on a black background highlighting the brass hands Center of dial shows secondary seconds and date indicator The arch painted with a scene of victorious Lord Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo with English and French troops in the background The dial is signed with the maker’s name Weight driven 8 day movement strikes a bell at the hour Height: 6' 11" An Outstanding Mahogany Longcse Clock James Fenton, London C 1760 A fine example of a London longcase clock standing on a double plinth with a nicely figured applied panel Base is nicely detailed with fluted and brass reeded quarter columns with brass capitals The moldings on the base panel match the molding on the full length trunk door Trunk is accented with fluted and brass reeded quarter columns with brass capitals to match the base Below the 3/4 length columns are nice decorative blind frets The hood has 2 free standing fluted and brass reeded columns with brass capitals These columns support a second arched top with a finely pierced wooden sound fret The brass dial having a silvered chapter ring, engraved and silvered center showing a secondary seconds dial The chapter ring is surrounded by four finely detailed brass spandrels Painted moon phase in top arch and a calendar aperture above 6:00 Weight driven 8 day duration movement counts the hours on a bell and strikes once at the half hour Height: 7' 4" Mahogany Perpetual Calendar Longcase Clock William Gough, London C 1760 An elegant mahogany London longcase clock The base supported by bracket feet with a raised panel Full length arch top door is flanked with fluted and brass reeded quarter columns with brass capitals The hood is supported by two full fluted and brass reeded columns with brass capitals The pagoda shaped hood features a cast brass sound fret flanked by two ball and spire finials The brass arch dial with silvered chapter ring, secondary seconds ring, signed maker’s cartouche, day indicator in arch with a month indicator below Entire dial has an engraved border A heavily engraved arch and a finely matted center Finished with four cast brass spandrels Weight driven 8 day duration movement striking a bell on the hour The rare fly back perpetual calendar does not show leap years Height: 8’ Pine and Oak Longcase Clock William Hooker, Lewes C 1809 A very well proportioned clock in the style of typical London lines The case is solidly built with simple conservative design The painted arch dial having painted corner shell motifs The dial shows a secondary seconds and calendar indicators Unusual strike/silent in arch Hands are of blued steel Weight driven 8 day duration movement strikes a bell on the hour Height: 7' 6" Mahogany Longcase Clock Thomas Hunter Jr., London C 1770 A fine traditional style London longcase clock supported on a double plinth base with a flame mahogany raised panel. The trunk having a full length arch top flame mahogany door. The regency style hood features full length fluted and brass stopped columns with brass capitals and similar quarter columns on back. A nicely engraved brass dial having a silvered chapter ring and a silvered secondary seconds ring. The maker’s name is on a silvered arch plate above the calendar aperture. The arch shows a painted moon dial and a silvered arch shaped indicator for “High Water at London Bridge.” Hands are of pierced blued steel. Weight driven 8 day duration movement striking a bell at the hour. A strike/silent lever at 3:00. Height: 7' 5" Walnut Longcase Clock Henry Jenkins C 1765 A fine walnut longcase clock with typical London lines The solid well proportioned base with satinwood stringing and ebony inlays The trunk having matching stringing to base features a full length door with an arched top The hood having turned and applied columns to the door accented with brass capitals The brass arch dial having a finely matted center surrounded by a silvered chapter ring, silvered secondary seconds dial, and a calendar aperture Four brass corner spandrels and two additional in arch flanking a strike/silent ring Makers name is on silvered cartouche under center of dial The finely pierced hands are of blued steel Weight driven 8 day duration movement striking a bell at the hour Height: 7' 3" Mahogany Scottish Longcase Clock James Rough, Kirkaldy C 1795 A lovely, small proportioned mahogany longcase clock The mahogany base panel having shaped feet and delicate satinwood inlay The trunk has 3/4 length fluted quarter columns flanking a 3/4 length door Below the trunk door is a rectangular satinwood edged panel The hood boasts two full fluted columns with brass capitals The swan neck pediment with brass paterae flanking a brass ball and eagle finial The silvered arch dial is richly engraved with sea serpent motif in corners, the makers name in the arch surrounded by mythical sea horses Weight driven 8 day duration movement striking a bell at the hour Height: 6’ 10” Dutch Musical Standing Clock (Staande Klok) T. Samuel Aubin, Rotterdam Before 1740 A magnificent burl walnut case supported by four heavy ball feet “The cases of these clocks, especially those from the second half of the golden age (1650 – 1750), can be considered superior examples of Dutch cabinetmaking; they are almost always oak with a thick walnut veneer.” (pg. 118, Dutch Antique Domestic Clocks, Dr. J. L. Sellink, 1973 H.E. Stenfert Kroese B.Y.- Pob 33 - Leiden – The Netherlands) The base of this clock in the typical flying buttress form with marquetry inserts The trunk with chamfered corners and carved floral mounts Shaped door with half round moldings and floral marquetry inserts The brass mount over the pendulum aperture showing a goddess of the farm holding a bull The hood with delicate sound frets which allow the two musical tunes to be heard Plumed feather and floral carving creates the arched top The finial pediment supporting Atlas carrying the globe is being announced by two angels named “Flame” The angels trumpet Atlas’ entry and carry trumpets and sunflowers The superb dial with mixed figured silvered chapter ring, subsidiary silvered seconds dial, and strike/silent dials for the music and hour striking The center of the dial has excellent quality matting and engraving that surround the typically shaped day and date apertures The top silvered arch with beautifully cut blued steel hand points to High Water at Amsterdam while the moon window shows the age of the moon The three weight driven musical mechanisms of these longcase clocks are between plates and closely resemble that of their English counterparts This mechanism has seven turned pillars supporting the clock between plates The English clocks of the same period usually employ only five pillars A truly wonderful, well made example Height: 8' 1" 9’ 1” (To Top of Atlas) Burr Mulberry Longcase Clock John Stephens, London C 1750 A fine burr mulberry longcase clock standing on a double plinth The base panel features a 2 inch border The trunk having a full length door with a molded edge The hood with applied columns and a caddy top with two turned mulberry finials The twelve inch square dial with a silvered chapter ring and a silvered seconds ring A date aperture above 6:00 Four nice early brass corner spandrels Winding holes and seconds hand center holes are nicely ringed Nice detailed engravings in dial plate as well as near calendar aperture Maker’s name engraved on the bottom of the silvered chapter ring The early high quality movement runs a duration of 8 days and strikes a bell at the hour The striking mechanism features a locking plate on the great wheel Height: 7’ 8” A Month Running English Longcase Clock Richard Street, London C 1705 A very important Queen Anne month running longcase clock This rare maker is a recorded associate of Thomas Tompion, who was one of London’s greatest clock and watch makers The elegantly proportioned case made by Tompion’s cabinet maker is veneered in burr yew wood This clock features the original caddy top with three brass ball finials Many of these caddy tops have been removed for the purpose of shortening the case The month duration movement bears many similarities to Tompion’s work It is finished to the highest standard and includes six latched pillars, reverse train of wheels as well as an outside locking plate The twelve inch square brass dial has a silvered, applied chapter ring surrounded by brass corner spandrels The focal point of the spandrels is a female bust, perhaps that of Queen Anne, which may be of significance The finely matted dial center features a secondary seconds ring Height: 8’ 3” (To Top of Finial) American Mahogany Roxbury Longcase Clock Benjamin Willard, Roxbury Mass. C 1774 Born in Grafton Mass in 1743 and the first of the most famous American clockmaking families Boston advertisements indicate he began working in Roxbury between 1771 and 1772 after having made clocks in the Grafton area of many years His younger brother Simon went on to be one of the most prolific clockmakers in American history and there is a suggestion that he may have purchased Benjamin’s clock business This clock stands on OG bracket feet with a finely figured mahogany base panel. The trunk is adorned with ¼ fluted columns The hood is flanked with full fluted columns The typical Roxbury style pierced fret top has chimneys holding brass ball and spire finials with a brass eagle center The silvered brass arch dial is elaborately engraved with the maker’s signature in the center and is numbered 209 in the secondary seconds ring An American eagle engraved in the top arch has the motto above it reading “Ab Hoc Momento Pendet Aeternitas” which is translated to “On This Moment Hinges Eternity” The dial is illustrated in the Brooks Palmers book A Treasury of American Clocks The silvered dial offsets nicely blued steel hands and has a calendar window above 6:00 The fully restored brass mechanism counts the hour on a bell and runs for a duration of eight days A stunning example of an important American clock by the most sought after clockmaking family Height: 7' 1" These are some of our Mercurial Barometers Gerald Grunsell has over 40 years experience in the field of Horology. He was trained in the English apprentice system for seven years by the respected Horologist and Author, W. J. Gazeley. He is a Master Clockmaker, and a Fellow of the British Horological Institute. The shop contains a large selection of antique Longcase clocks. All the clocks have an elegance of proportion and style and reflect the finest design of the 18th and 19th centuries from England, Europe and America. The movements have been fully restored by Gerald Grunsell, and any necessary case work is performed by our cabinet makers, experienced in the construction and quality of fine antique furniture. Our clients include private individuals, Interior Designers, Corporations and collectors. We are very amenable to each of their interior style, time, and financial requirements. The Horologist of London has been located in Ridgefield, Connecticut for over 25 years. Located about an hour from Mid-Town Manhattan. |