24. $250
Conant & Sperry
30-hour OG, 1842–1843. The label identifies these two New York City retailers, but the real interest here is the S. B. Terry
upside-down movement. The 27-inch OG case is veneered in figured mahogany with minor chips and repairs; the finish is polished. Both glasses are original with the original putty; the tablet has been professionally filled in to replace losses. The wooden
dial is clean, the hands likely original. Look at how much brass is used in the movement – wide frames, solid wheels. This is why Terry struggled financially. The movement was likely designed to skirt Jerome’s patents and employs the large escape
wheel typical of S. B. Terry clocks. The strike side runs without stopping and will need attention; the time side runs for a
short while before petering out. There are two small weights to fit in the thin case. There is a standard pendulum bob,
a crank, and a good label inside; it appears the names are paste-overs of an earlier Sperry business – he had many partners (before
having many partners meant something different). Interestingly, this is the only Conant & Sperry clock listed on LiveAuctioneers,
having sold in 2003 for $950; there are two other listings on the Antique Clocks Identification and Price Guide, and neither use this
movement. Indeed, I cannot find any other examples of the use of this movement. $250–$500.
Antique American Clocks JULY 2023