237.    $450

Sempire Clock Co. “Elechrometer” wall clock, ca. 1900.  A 62.5-inch solid oak case with an old finish and soiling and paint along the edges.  No major nicks or scratches but the door latch is missing; both glasses are old. The signed 11-inch dial holds the original paint with some chipping around the screw mounts.  The Sempire Clock Co. was in St. Louis around the turn of the twentieth century; the patent date on the brass movement is 1894 to F.L. Gregory, the founder of the company.  The clock winds on two No. 6 dry cells (available through specialty shops), or four D-size batteries available at your grocery store.  A D-cell holder is with the clock, along with the simple wiring needed.  The motor raises the small weight on the left side of the movement which then drives the gearing as it falls.  The clock rewinds every 5 minutes or so.  I did not test the motor, but you can lift the weight arm and it runs until it returns to the resting position.  Everything appears original here, from the movement and motor to the pendulum stick, bob, and glasses.  The dark lines that run down the inside back wall on the left are where wires used to run to the two dry cells; the staining could probably be removed with a good cleaner. I can’t find any sales of this model and only a few sales of Sempire clocks, which were produced until the 1930’s or so, when electricity could be obtained from a wall outlet instead of a battery.   Similar “self-winding” clocks sell for around $500.  Here’s a link to a discussion of a Sempire clock on the NAWCC forum:  https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/sempire-elechrometer-mantle-clock.92801/. $400-$800.

Delivery is available in the eastern half of the US for $250.