163.           $400

Welch, Spring & Co. “Regulator Calendar No. 1”, ca. 1878. Welch’s biggest calendar clock, an impressive 53-inches tall.  This one has had it rough: it is missing its base and the walnut veneer on the bezel is peeling off readily; the hinge for the dial glass door has been replaced.  The dial glass and middle glass are modern replacements, the lower glass is old and was probably repainted long ago.  Note the carved embellishments in the corners of the middle door – I’ve not seen that on other examples.  The original 18-inch dial holds what looks to be the original paint, with some fading, and with fingerprints that won’t clean off easily.  The numbering is strong and there is little flaking. The three hands on the time dial are correct and may be original, the date hand on the middle calendar dial is a replacement, while the month hand may be correct.  The calendar dial is painted and is showing some flaking.  Welch & Spring used a large, solid brass plate movement in these clocks with a dead-beat escapement visible through the three holes in the bottom of the front plate; later models used a standard upright (rather than upside-down) escapement.  This one is running without difficulty, driven by two 8-lb rectangular replacement weights (the weights should be cylindrical).  The pendulum stick has been repaired, and the bob is badly worn.  There are several labels inside, including instructions, a do not oil warning I think, and a very good maker’s label, as well as a good label on the back of the calendar movement.  There is a key and working door latch on the bottom, while the middle door latch is frozen.  There was a time not long ago when if you had one of this model you were the envy of all your calendar clock collector friends.  Schmitt Horan sold a nice example a year ago for $1300.  If you can veneer a round curve you could make a big difference here.  $400–$800.