A fine quality double fusee skeleton clock, c.1840-5
- Maker: Attributed
to James Edwards of Stourbridge
- Date: 1840 -
1845
- Height: 43cm
/ 46.5cm (With the glass dome) Width: 31cm Depth: 19cm
- Price: Sold
A fine quality double fusee skeleton clock with glass
dome, attributed to James Edwards of Stourbridge c.1840-5
The eight-day, chain driven twin fusee movement with
beautifully finished heavy brass scroll plates united by six
turned and tapered pillars with blued-steel screws.
Finely crossed six-spoke wheel work on steel arbors and
pivots running into bushed oil sinks, skeletonised barrel
covers with blued steel decoration.
The rack striking train is fully exposed with visible snail
and star wheel.
Fully striking the hours with axe-head hammer on a centrally
mounted cast ‘bell-metal’ bell.
Anchor recoil escapement and a lead weighted brass bob
pendulum.
Shaped edge skeletonised silvered and engraved chapter ring
with shield shaped Roman numerals cartouches and outer
minute ring. The Roman numerals with alternating red and
black wax infill.
Finely cut blued-steel hands.
The clock stands on four substantial brass feet, beneath a
stepped and moulded oval white marble base with four bun
feet.
Brass heart shaped fusee winding key.
In excellent fully restored condition. No cracks or damage
to the glass dome.
The scroll shaped framework to the clock is typical of the
design used by James Edwards of Stourbridge and can be
safely attributed to his workshops.
All of our clock movements are restored by our horologist
who works exclusively for us.
Our horologist is a Fellow of the British Horological
Institute (FBHI), having 35 years of full time
professional engagement in the repair & restoration of
clocks, watches, music boxes & barometers. He was the
recipient of the 1977 Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
Bronze Medal.
Please contact us for further details and delivery
information.
James Edwards is recorded as working in Stourbridge,
Worcestershire from before 1829, when he is known to have
been in the High Street, until 1853 by which time he is
known to be working at Hagley Road. by 1860 all records of
him stop so presumably he had ceased trading or died at
this point. Edwards was probably the first of the skeleton
clock makers to produce top quality pieces on a fairly
large scale, pre-dating both Evans of Handsworth and
Smiths of Clerkenwell by at least ten years. * Note.
Reference Derek Roberts, Skeleton Clocks Britain
1800-1914; Antique Collectors Club 1987; pages 173-177.