JC-5.               $150

E.N. Welch Mfg. Co. “Schley”, ca. 1900. And now we come to Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, who commanded the American fleet that destroyed Admiral Cervera’s ships when the Spanish fleet departed Santiago Bay on the southeast coast of Cuba.  At the time Rear Admiral Sampson was on shore, so Schley was in command; when Sampson claimed credit for the naval victory without mentioning Schley the public rallied to Schley’s support. Hence, he gets a clock in the Welch Spanish-American War series.    The 24-inch pressed wood oak case is clean with an old finish.  The door glass is correct, displaying Schley’s flagship the Brooklyn, but much of the stenciling has been lost and subsequently touched up, but not professionally.  The dial is glossy paper, dark to the point of being brown; it is signed Welch above the inner ring.  The hands are correct.  The 8-day, time-and-strike movement is signed, running and striking with vigor.  The pendulum bob is Welch.  The label has been lost.  I can find one sale of this model on LiveAuctioneers, for $425 in 2006, and one sale on the Antique Clocks Identification and Price Guide, by my mentor Carroll Horton in 2004 for $700. Clearly not a common model.  $150-$300.

I should have noticed that the "wings" on the top left and right of the crest, over the flags, are missing.  See Ly, Welch Clocks page 462.  Darn!  This is a very rare clock.