Horological Highlight.

Paul Archard Clock specialist. Dealing in fine 17th - 19th century English longcase, bracket, skeleton, wall, carriage clocks, precision clocks, chronometers, Viennese clocks, Vienna regulators, French clocks, antique barometers and horological books.

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Derek Roberts Antiques.
FINE ANTIQUE CLOCKS.
Established 1968.
Tel.(01732)358986. Fax.(01732)771842.
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Horological Highlight.

AN INTERESTING PAIR

It is not often you get the chance to compare two almost identical clocks by a famous maker, but we have been very lucky to have two Ellicott bracket clocks dating from about 1745. Both of the cases were obviously made by the same cabinet maker and probably almost at the same time. It is interesting however to note how, although in many respects they are identical, there are also slight variations between them. Mass production had not yet taken off!

The cases are of identical height, width and size and although the brass mouldings on both cases look identical they are slightly different. The brass mouldings at the top of the bell top are fractionally different sizes, as are the brass castings on the front and rear doors. The canted corners of the walnut case are wider than the canted corners on the macassar ebony case. Presumably this was to better show off the grain on the canted corners, whereas on the macassar case they were made to fit the brass caryatids on the case.

The differences between the cants is very small however, and one would have expected the case maker to use matching brass castings for the side windows and sound frets. He has in fact made them individually and therefore the walnut case, which has fractionally smaller side panels because of the larger canted corners, has fractionally smaller glass enclosures and round sound frets.

Interestingly, one might expect the better movement, which is the quarter striking movement, to be housed in the very finest case which is the walnut case, but in fact it is the other way round. Perhaps at the time macassar ebony was more valued than walnut, although of course these days that tends to have reversed.

The engraved signature on the backplate of both clocks, although very similar, is slightly different with a more ornate signature on the quarter striking clock which of course has a larger backplate.

Both movements are of the finest quality with identical pillars and other similarities.

The spandrels for the main dial on both clocks are from the same mould, but the spandrels round the strike/silent dial are different. The minute hands are of the same pattern but the hour hands are quite different.

Overall however, notwithstanding the interesting differences between them, both clocks are superb quality items from one of the best clockmakers of the period.

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31635C.BR
JOHN ELLICOTT, LONDON. A SUPERB BRASS MOUNTED WALNUT STRIKING EIGHT DAY BRACKET CLOCK WITH ALARM. CIRCA 1745.

A superb and imposing walnut bracket clock. The case of inverted bell top form has profuse brass edging and mouldings. The veneers on the case are finely figured. It has canted corners and the front door, brass edged sound frets to the top and the glass is also brass edged. The sides of the case have round brass edged sound frets at the top and glazed brass edged opening below. The rear door has fretted sound apertures and brass stringing in a similar fashion to the front door.

The 7" brass dial has shell and scroll spandrels, it has a strike/silent dial in the arch and the chapter ring has Arabic minute numerals and Roman hour numerals. It is signed on the chapter ring, ‘John Ellicott, London.’ The well matted centre has a date square above 6 o’clock and an alarm setting disc below the centre of the hands.

The eight day bell striking movement has six nicely knopped pillars, one of which is latched. It has its original verge escapement and twin gut fusees. The alarm work is wound via a pull cord on the side of the case and strikes on the same bell that is used for the hour striking but with different hammers.

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There is a pull trip repeat cord on the side of the case as well. Both of these pull repeat cords are run through brass ferrules. The backplate of the movement is beautifully engraved and signed for the maker, ‘John Ellicott, London.’ It has a pendulum hold fast to the left hand side.

The whole of this clock, both movement and case, is of the finest quality and proportions.

Height to base of handle: 19" (48 cms.)

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John Ellicott was born in 1706 and died in 1772. He was a Fellow and on the Council of the Royal Society and is noted as one of the most eminent English makers. He invented a compensated pendulum and developed the use of the cylinder escapement and became Clockmaker to the King. There are many fine clocks by this maker in various collections. By 1758 he had been joined in the business by his son, Edward, by which time the signature ‘Ellicott’ without the christian name was often used, although some items were signed ‘John Ellicott & Son.’

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31658C.BR
JOHN ELLICOTT, LONDON. AN EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY MACASSAR EBONY, EBONISED AND BRASS BOUND QUARTER STRIKING BRACKET CLOCK BY THIS EMINENT MAKER. CIRCA 1745.

A macassar ebony veneered bracket clock, the case identical to the small series of walnut table clocks made by Ellicott at this time, has a brass carrying handle to the bell top of the case with a further brass moulding before the ebonised convex moulding of the inverted bell top. This finishes with a further brass mould. The case has a brass bound arched front door with brass bound sound frets to the side of the arch. The corners of the case, both back and front, are canted and scalloped and the sides of the clock have brass bound round side frets above glass panels with concave round tops. The rear door conforms to the front door. Both doors and the carcase of the clock are veneered in high quality ebony. The double plinth of the clock is brass bound at the top and the middle and stands on well shaped square pad feet.

The dial of the clock has a strike silent dial in the arch with typical Vulliamy gilded spandrels both to the sides of the arch and the sides of the main dial. The main dial has outer Arabic minute numerals and inside Roman numerals and is signed for the maker ‘John Ellicott, London.’ The clock has blued steel hands which are nicely fretted and a calendar aperture below XII.

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The eight day triple fusee movement has six knopped pillars. It strikes the quarters on a nest of eight bells and eight hammers and has a pull repeat. It has its original verge escapement and further strikes the hours on a bell mounted above the backplate on the right. The backplate of the clock is profusely engraved and is signed for the maker ‘John Ellicott, London’ on a rounded cartouche in the centre.

Height to the base of the handle: 19" (48 cm)

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John Ellicott was born in 1706 and died in 1772. He was a Fellow and on the Council of the Royal Society and is noted as one of the most eminent English makers. He invented a compensated pendulum and developed the use of the cylinder escapement and became Clockmaker to the King. There are many fine clocks by this maker in various collections. By 1758 he had been joined in the business by his son, Edward, by which time the signature A Ellicott' without the christian name was often used, although some items were signed A John Ellicott & Son.

Click here to enlarge picture

Our showrooms are open Monday - Friday 9.30 am - 5.00 pm, Saturdays and other times by appointment.
Archard Campbell and Roberts Clock specialist. Dealing in fine 17th - 19th century English longcase clocks, Longcase regulators, bracket clocks, skeleton clocks, Antique wall clocks, carriage clocks, precision clocks, chronometers, French clocks and Barometers. We are also the uk's only specialist in early Viennese clocks, Laterndluhr style regulators, Dachluhr style regulators, Biedermeier regulators, Vienna regulators, Viennese Longcase regulators and deal in horological books.
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