276. $100
French Morbier clock in oak case, ca. 1850. The solid oak case is 84 inches (7 ft) tall with an old and alligatored finish. The dial glass is twentieth century, the door glass is old and wavy. The case has some applied carvings on the base but is not painted or typical French (the case and movement seem to go together, but I can’t promise they started out together). The dial is porcelain with painted flowers and some hairline cracks, and a repoussé decoration above; the hands look original. There is no signature on the dial or movement. The brass and steel movement has a crown wheel escapement and a bell strike on top, counting the hours on the hour, and then repeating at 2 minutes past; it strikes once on the half-hour. There is a pull-cord on the right that allows you to hear the last hour strike. The small lead weight on the end of the string is a bit too heavy, but it may be that a lever is out of place (it strikes continually once started without stopping). It also has an alarm, unusual for these clocks. I do not know how it winds, but there is a cord on the left that is attached to the alarm movement. There are two 8.5-lb rectangular weights, painted gold, and a pendulum rod that folds up for easy transport. The clock runs for a minute or two and stops. $100–$500.
Delivery
to the eastern half of the US for $400.
Antique American Clocks JANUARY 2025