60. $1500
Abner Jones empire shelf clock with drawers, 1835-1841. A 38-inch case (18 inches wide) with a beautiful finish on the mahogany veneer. Just a chip or two at the lower right, and a mark in the center of the frieze. It does not appear that this clock ever had feet. The dial glass and mirror are period/original; the columns have been repainted. The painted metal dial surround is mounted in the door and is badly chipped and discolored. The dial mounts to the front of the movement and has been stripped and is now metal-grey; both the dial and the surround will need to be repainted. The brass hands are correct. The 8-day, time-and-strike brass movement is clean but not strung so it cannot be tested; there are two 17.5-lb square weights to drive it, and two small brass pulleys to allow compounding. One overhead pully is a replacement. Jones clocks did not have a label. There are four similar examples on LiveAuctioneers; they sold for from $3000 in 2018 at Cottone’s to $6500 at Skinner in 2009. With a repainted dial and surround (~$400) this would be as nice as any of them. This clock is shown and discussed in Russ Oechsle's book, Without Equal: The Clocks of Abner Jones of Bloomfield, New York on pages 60-62. $1500–$3000.
Get Russ Oechsle's book on Abner Jones below.
Antique American Clocks July 2025
