FINE ANTIQUE CLOCKS.
Established 1968.
Tel.(01732)358986. Fax.(01732)771842.
Copyright notice
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To celebrate Paul’s ‘Around Britain’ sailing trip we felt it was only fitting to have as ‘Clock of the Month’ this rare true striking ships clock which must have been commissioned for a very prestigious sailing yacht of its day.
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No.114. 31512C.W. A rare true striking ships clock that strikes the bells of the watch including the dog watches in both the morning and the evening.
It has brass spade and pointer hands. Hidden behind the silvered sight ring and only revealed when the bezel is opened are two levers one at IX engraved ‘To set the striking’. The second is at II and engraved ‘12 Night – 12 Noon.’ |
| Typically Victorian in it’s construction the
massive movement truly fills the case and has thick brass plates with 5
pillars. It has chain fusees, Harrison’s maintaining power on the going
train and a large English lever platform escapement with a massive diamond
endstone and a balance that is fully temperature compensated. The main
spring clicks are numbered 24 and 16 indicating the number of teeth
required for the correct set up of the main springs. It has a large
24-hour count/pin wheel that is mounted on the back plate and strikes both
a.m. and p.m. Dog Watches (the reason for this is unclear and must have
been a special request when originally ordered) via 2 hammers on a 4"
diameter nickel plated bell. The count/pin wheel has 108 pins on one side
and 84 on the reverse.
Click here to see video of clock striking. The brass bulkhead drum case has a hinged bezel with a push button catch and a thick bevelled edge glass. It can be hung on the wall from the substantial lug at XII or mounted on a later, but beautifully made, dark English walnut wall bracket. |
It has its original and numbered winding key.
Diameter. 9" (23cms).
Length including bracket. 14.5" (37cms).
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| Charles Frodsham undoubtedly made this
clock for the burgeoning world cruising and racing market after races
around the Isle of Wight in the year of the Great Exhibitions of 1851. The
yacht at the centre of the races was named America and it must be
remembered that these races which shook the sailing world and gripped the
British public were the start of the America’s cup races we know today.
Frodsham No.920 is one of only 5 known examples and the other 4 are in major UK collections, which are very unlikely to come onto the open market. The Frodsham family is one of the most famous in English horology. It is also extremely complex and Charles ' father, William James Frodsham who was in partnership with William Parkinson at the beginning of the 19th century, had 10 children, six of whom were to become watchmakers, the most important of whom was Charles Frodsham himself.Charles was born in 1810 and was apprenticed to his father for seven years. From a very early age it was obvious he had great skills and he submitted a chronometer for premium trials gaining second prize prior to having completed his apprenticeship. |
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The business prospered and moved from various places starting with Change Alley and ending up at 115 New Bond Street. The move to New Bond Street took place in 1894 when 84 The Strand, their previous address, was pulled down to make way for a hotel. The firm was particularly noted for its chronometers and watches but also produced fine carriage clocks and a number of regulators. Further information can be found in ‘The Frodshams. The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers’ by Vaudrey Mercer and ‘English Precision Pendulum Clocks’ by Derek Roberts pages 140-162. We are grateful to Miles Campbell for his assistance in compiling this description. |
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