Antique American Clocks January 2021
118. $300
Wm. Gilbert “Octagon Drop Calendar”, 1861-1866. This is the first edition of the Maranville
patent calendar dial, in which the days and month are adjusted with a winding key to turn the two dials behind the main dial: The
upper key stud turns the month dial, the lower stud turns the day of the week dial. You turn the weekday dial to adjust
the weekdays to the calendar days. It’s quite simple and quite ingenious if you don’t mind adjusting the calendar every
month. With that the red calendar hand tells you the day of the week and the date. Later editions of this calendar
dial let you use a pencil to move the back dials; I like this version better. The case is 24 inches long with good rosewood
veneer all around. Both glasses are new, the dial old, possibly original. Some chipping is evident. The
hands are correct. The 8-day, time-and-strike movement is unsigned, running and striking on a wire gong, and the calendar
is advancing. A label inside. These guys generally sell for around $400. $300-$400.