Antique American Clocks July 2021
116. $500
Seth Thomas “Regulator No. 2”, ca. 1864. This is a very early Seth Thomas No. 2 regulator,
as judged by the weight baffle label that bears the Plymouth Hollow location; in 1865 the village was renamed Thomaston. Why
is it not a No. 1 regulator? As best I can tell, because it does not have a seconds hand. Early No. 2’s did
not have a seconds hand while the No. 1’s did; this was introduced to the No. 2 in 1879. Of course, later No. 2’s also
used a brass weight rather than the flat weight used in the No. 1’s and early No. 2’s. The tablet here is a replacement
on new glass, with a design used by Seth Thomas from 1878-1880, so it is not correct for this early model. As long as I
am criticizing, the walnut case has been re-veneered on the bezel and the base has been replaced; the length of the case is 31.5 inches,
rather than the expected 34 inches. Furthermore, the dial is paper, but that could be corrected by a dial painter. On
the positive side, you don’t see many ST regulators with a Plymouth Hollow label (I can find only a couple in the dozens of clocks
shown in the Antique Clocks Price Guide), and this label is in good shape. The rectangular movement is correct to this
model (and unsigned, as is typical), and the pendulum stick is original but has been painted over the gilding; the bob is probably
correct as well, and the weight is correct. The dial glass is old, the hands are correct. The clock is running. If
you want a rare, early version of the No. 2 regulator, this one looks pretty good. $800-$1000.