Fleming 4 clocks

Alabaster mantel clock

This is a particularly nice example, and is alabaster not white marble. As you will see, the case is surmounted by a 'dish' with a gilt metal rim & 'handles' - though it can not be removed!
The movement has a half-hour count-plate strike (on a bell) and a Brocot regulator on the suspension, the back plate has the Japy Freres Gde Med D Honneur round stamp (used from 1855 to 1873) and the numbers on the pendulum match those on the movement.
The case is in good original condition with very few scratches to the alabaster, though the bottom right corner shows some damage. In addition to this the dial has a hairline crack from 1.00 down to 7.00 and some chipping round the winding holes.

Maximum dimensions: 315mm high by 260mm wide by 128mm deep

£700

Brass-cased Wall Clock

This clock is one for a connoisseur...

The outside does not give much away, being a simple brass drum with some turned grooves on the side and a plain flat, unsigned cream dial with a small subsidiary seconds dial. The only hint is the very small winding hole...

The movement has, as one would expect, a platform escapement and this is where it starts to get interesting. It is a very early English Lever platform, with the outer end of the hairspring pinned into a separate cock, rather than an extension of the balance cock. The platform plate goes along the width of the clock plates, rather than across the depth of them. The regulator index is connected to lever pivoted at centre of dial & with a pin projecting into a sector slot in the top of dial (hidden by bezel).

It has an 8-day movement, sadly also unsigned. The barrel ratchet wheel is exceptionally finely cut with over 50 teeth; just one visible example of the quality of the 5-crossing wheel-work.

The front glass is undamaged, 4.5mm thick with a well bevelled edge, and the front bezel has a spring catch operated by the button on the left side.

It comes complete with the original double axe-head style winding key, with the square hole still in good condition.

It is almost identical to another one I look after, which is signed Parkinson & Frodsham. I estimate the date of this clock's maufacture as C.1830.

Dimensions:dial diameter: 6" (5.25" chapter ring), case diameter: 7" case depth: 2"

£500

Alabaster mantel clock

This is a particularly nice example of a small dial clock, with a slightly convex enamel dial signed French & Son / London.

It has a late model of fusee movement, with plain pillars screwed at both ends. The back plate is stamped 6472 / LONDON just to the right of the bottom left pillar.

The movement is secured in the case by two steel straps running vertically behind the dial, not to the dial plate itself so that the enamel will not get damaged.

There is a slight chip to the bevelled edge of the 4mm-thick front glass (at about 9 minutes past), and there has been some repair-work to the case - but what would you expect?.

Dimensions: case diameter: 11.25" Case depth: 5" (to the front of the glass), dial plate diameter: 7.75" (chapter ring: 6.875")

£750

Alabaster mantel clock

This clock is a timepiece, with Brocot regulation, unsigned & with only the pendulum length number on the back plate. It is in an alabaster case with nymphs playing musical instruments in recesses either side of the trunk.
The case has been in the wars, with both the front right corner of the top slab and the front left corner of the slab below the trunk having been damaged as well as both ends of the front slab of the base. Also the pendulum is a modern replacement.I have tried to reflect this in the asking price.
Despite this it is still an attractive clock and a good time-keeper.

Maximum dimensions: 270mm high by 248mm wide by 120mm deep

£350

Balloon-cased mantel clock

This attractive piece has caused quite a bit of interest at the Antiques Fair where it has been on display...
It is a very pleasing shape, and the case is in good condition (though it has had to be re-polished so there is no patination as yet - but that will come!)
The dial is good and clear, signed Jaye's / 142 & 144 Oxford St. W1. It is silvered brass with painted black-work.
The movement is an unsigned back-wound and hand-set French drum movement with a club-tooth/Swiss-lever platform escapement using a double-ended key (no captive knobs) - said key supplied with the clock of course.
The shadows on the dial are reflections of me taking the photo at the antiques fair...

Maximum dimensions: 236mm high by 137mm wide by 90mm deep

£600

Postmans Alarm Clock

This is a classic Black Forest timepiece alarm clock, with a turned wooden bezel made up of 8 pieces, and is almost undamaged (there is a small nick in the joint at 9.00)
Both the side doors are intact and the joints of the main case are firm.
It has a glass dial (painted on the reverse as you would expect) and comes with replacement weights and a new pendulum.
All parts are held together in the original manner with taper pins (not with steel angle brackets) though the back has additional screws into the top & bottom wooden 'plates' for safety.

Maximum dimensions: wooden bezel 280mm diameter, dial 175mm diameter, depth (from back of case to front of centre arbor)180mm drop required from dial centre to floor 1975mm

£700

Timepiece Carriage Clock with cylinder platform

This is a timepiece carriage clock with a cylinder platform, unsigned, the case parts numbered 138.
The dial has been repaired, but still has hairline crack from centre hole towards 8.45.
The ratchet wheel cock is stamped France, there is a large S & F stamped below platform, and both plates have cut-outs for the 'scape bottom cock.
The case is an Obis variant, with a rectangular top glass.

Maximum dimensions: 145mm high (handle up)or 120mm (handle down) by 80mm wide by 65mm deep

£400

Elliott 1950's timepiece

This is a bit more modern than most of the clocks I have for sale.
The movement is a typical Elliott product, which pre-dates the period when they fitted platforms with non-removable end-stones for the balance jewel-settings.
It has a convex square glass over a skeletonised applied chapter ring, with the movement under a metal cover on the back.

Maximum dimensions: 210mm high by 175mm wide by 57mm deep

£200

Tableau Comtoise clock

This is a French wall clock which shares a peculiarity with French longcase clocks in that it strikes the hours twice - once at the hour and again a couple of minutes later. In fact the movements are almost identical - with only the gear ratios (to allow for a shorter pendulum) and the motive power being different.
It is a highly decorative clock, with mother-to-pearl floral inlay in dark wood panels in the pale wood ground, all covered by glazing inside the ebonised outer bezel.
This makes the front quite heavy, which normally presents a problem for the hinges at the top of the front as there is generally only one prop to hold it open for winding - resulting in quite a twist. However this clock has one on each side so the hinges are not put under strain.
The dial on this clock is the better quality glass one, painted on the reverse and held to a metal backing plate by the hole-grommets.

Maximum dimensions: 620mm high by 490mm wide by 130mm deep, dial is 230 mm diameter

£750

Drop-dial clock

Here I am selling a small drop-dial clock with a German movement of good quality but unidentified maker.
The 'drop' is hinged on the right side with a latch on the left, swinging down in front of the back board (which continues to level with the bottom of the drop) to reveal the pendulum.
It has a nice clear dial, with good colour to the wood.
A very attractive little clock...

Maximum dimensions: wooden bezel is 240mm diameter, the 'drop' below it is 23mm,it is 100mm deep, and the dial is 170mm diameter.

£450

French Strike Mantel clock

This is a standard French drum movement with a Brocot regulator on the suspension spring.
It is a 1/2-hour rack strike on gong model, which is numbered but unsigned.
The case is a 1930's 'Art Deco' ply one in good original condition.
The inner part of the dial does have a small hole in it inside by the III, but is otherwise in good condition.

Maximum dimensions: 225mm high by 270mm wide by 150mm deep

£500

Frodsham Timepiece

This is a good-quality movement cased in a simple round-topped wood case by a well-respected maker.
As you will see from the photo it is functional rather than highly decorative, but it has good proportions and the wood is nicely patinated.
Most of the shadows on the dial are just that - shadows - but there is a slight blemish just below the 6.00 diamond.
The movement has chromed brass plates, and a good quality club-tooth/Swiss lever platform escapement, and runs, as you would expect, for 8 days.

Maximum dimensions: 6" high by 4.75" wide by 3.25" deep with a 3.5" dial - this is an imperial measure clock!

£150

German Striking Mantel Clock

This clock is in a typical Edwardian case with (I think) ebony & boxwood "cord" inlay below the dial and round a burr-walnut panel below this, & boxwood stringing round the outer edge of the (dark birch?) ply case - a very pleasing combination.
It has a good clear dial (silvered with the black-work applied on top), and the movement is a rack strike on gong one.
As you will see from the photos, the case is in very good condition (the last photo shows numbers a previous repairer has scratched into the inside of the door - the only obvious blemish to the finish).

Maximum dimensions: 235mm high by 300mm wide by 140mm deep

£350

Dial clock by R Jowes

This is a standard Office Dial clock with a fusee movement of good quality.
The case seems to have been re-finished, and I have not checked on the authenticity of the GWR or the name on the dial.
The dial has been re-painted for me - with nothing added or removed - after re-riveting two of the dial feet.
The movement is resonably modern as fusee movements go, so should give a lifetime or two of good service!

Maximum dimensions: 330mm high by 330mm wide by 135mm deep, dial is 240mm diameter

£875

Gilt Spelter mantel clock

This clock is really quite impressive!
It is, as you will see, a fairly rococo-style case, with a ceramic dial, panel in the base and half of the urn on top.
It has ben re-gilded and is bright as a new pin!
It has a count-plate 1/2-hour strike movement (striking on a bell) and the original pendulum with numbers matching those on the movement.

Maximum dimensions: 300mm high by 170mm wide by 110mm deep

£900

"Metamec" quartz clock

This was part of 'box of miscelaneous items' in a branch auction.
It has had a decent quality replacement movement fitted and works fine.
A good basic kitchen clock!

Maximum dimensions: 150mm high by 215mm wide by 50mm deep

£10

Timepiece Carriage Clock with English Lever platform

This has a corniche case, with a rectangular top glass.
The movement is unsigned and back of the back plate is clear of any stamps.
It is stamped on the inside with 8 & 2 by the pillar holes (the pillars being held to the back plate by screws not rivets), and the inside of the front plate is stamped F8 by bottom left pillar, 3 at bottom centre, 2 by bottom right pillar & 5 just below top right dial-foot hole!

It is fitted with a good quality 13-jewel English lever/ratchet-tooth escape wheel platform with a 90° layout.

The case is in very good condition, all glasses are intact & well-fitting, and the bottom blanking plate in the base is still there.

Altogether a very nice piece.

Maximum dimensions: 147mm high (handle up) or 120mm (handle down) by 76mm wide by 67mm deep

£750

Repeat Strike Carriage Clock with English Lever Platform

This is a clock I have had in my own house for a few years, so I know it is going well! The movement is unsigned though the back plate is stamped with R & A below the platform, the arrow over the hand-set square with 'Aiguilles' below it and is numbered 10073 round the bottom left pillar hole. It is held to the base of the case by 4 rather than the more normal 2 screws into the bottom pilars - a mark of quality.

It is fitted with a good quality 13-jewel English lever/ratchet-tooth escape wheel platform with a 90° layout and a fully-cut bi-metalic balance.

It has a corniche case, with an oval top glass, which is structurally in very good condition with some tarnishing or patina begining to form, all glasses are intact & well-fitting. Case-parts are numbered 40.

As you would expect it has a flirt action strike, and rings on a coiled gong. It is a typical size for a strike carriage clock.

All in all,a nice little clock...

Maximum dimensions: 175mm high (handle up) or 150mm (handle down) by 96mm wide by 83mm deep

£1000

Modern 'Complicated' Carriage Clock

In this context, as I am sure you will know, 'complicated' means extra dials etc.
This particular clock has the following 'complications':

• Sweep seconds hand,
• Repeat strike,
• Date (of month),
• Alarm and
• Day (of week).

Yes, it is one of those clocks from China which you will see on Ebay, but unlike them it has had a lot of extra work put into it in terms of 'finish'. Both the movement and the case are now highly polished with the case lacquered, and its movement has had a full service. It now looks very good indeed.

The date can be moved on by turning a knob at the back for the short months, but if the clock runs down and the day is wrong you will have to turn the hands through however many days it is to get it back to the right day as it can only be changed by the hands going through midnight.

The platform has 11 jewels & is a club-tooth escapement - which is pretty standard - but unlike the Swiss ones it is only intended to be held on by three screws because the balance cock is curved round to one side over the place where the fourth one would be!

It has been on test for a while and keeps excellent time

One of the more unusual aspects of these clocks is that the strike-work is all on the back plate rather than between the dial and the front plate. I have only seen one French carriage clock like this, and I think this must be an approximate copy of that model, as the rest of the movement is so similar in its general layout to French carriage clocks. Strike-work like this is normally Austrian, but their carriage clocks are very different.

When I bought it, it had a pair of very poorly made enamel side panels (as you can see from the photos) of a pair of naked ladies. They needed to be there to hide the crude finish of the movement! Had they been well-enameled I would have left them in place as 'erotica', but in my opinion their quality is so bad that they detract from the overall quality of the clock now that I have refinished it. I am including the original panels in the sale (at no extra cost!) and am happy to re-instate them before shipping if you would prefer them to the glass sides currently in place.

Case dimensions: 210mm high (handle up) or 185mm (handle down), 103mm wide and 92mm deep.

£1000

Oak-cased Timepice Mantel Clock

The main part of this clock's case is a solid un-veneered piece of oak, with boxwood stringing making 'panels' above & below the dial, boxwood & ebony stringing round the outside edge and an oval scalloped-edged 'shell' inlay on a green ground inside another oval in the lower 'panel'. The base of the case is another piece of oak. It is just under 9" high.

There is a bruise to the case at the front edge of the curve on the right side (more or less on a line from the center of the dial through II, but this is not surprising in a clock of this age. Apart from that the case is in a very good condition.

The movement is a French 'drum' movement, with a cylinder platform escapement and the back plate 'shaped'. There is no maker's mark or name, but the back plate is stamped 'France' on the central lobe in the cut-out at the bottom.

I have left the front bezel unpolished, as I prefer a bit of 'age' to be visible, but if you would like this polished and lacquered I am happy to do so at no extra cost.

Maximum dimensions: 220mm high by 142mm wide by 86mm deep

£375

The World's Great Clocks and Watches by Cedric Jagger

This is the original Hamlyn edition, published in 1977 at which stage Jagger was the Assistant Curator of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers' Collection.

The book traces the history of horology starting with a chapter on non-mechanical time-keeping and one on the rudiments of clockwork, followed by chapters on the each of the great periods of clock-making, and ends with ones entitled 'East meets West' and 'Collectors & Collecting'.

Hard-back, 253 pages, 370 illustrations (120 in colour) Good condition

£20

The World's Great Clocks and Watches by Cedric Jagger

This is the Galley Press reprint edition, published in 1986 by which stage Jagger was the Keeper of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers' Collection.

The book traces the history of horology starting with a chapter on non-mechanical time-keeping and one on the rudiments of clockwork, followed by chapters on the each of the great periods of clock-making, and ends with ones entitled 'East meets West' and 'Collectors & Collecting'.

Hard-back, 253 pages, 370 illustrations (120 in colour) Good condition

£20

European Clocks by E. J. Tylor

This is a useful little book of some 250 page including a glossary of technical terms. It is heavily illustrated, with 132 black & white photographs and a few line-drawings. Inevitably, with this much space taken by the illustrations the text is limited, but despite this, the author manages to convey a huge amount of information both about the historical and regional development of clocks in Europe.

Hard-back, very good condition, copyright 1968, published by Ward Lock & Co Ltd

£15

French Clocks by Winthrop Edey

This is not a new book! However, despite having been published in the 60s it is still a mine of useful information.

In it the author discusses the evolution of French clocks from the Renaissance to the Revolution.

Each era is examined from the standpoint of cases, dials & movements, but the emphasis is on the artistic rather than the scientific merit of each object.

Consisting of 83 pages, with 2 colour plates and 40 other illustrations, there is a good balance of text and illustration.

Hardback with paper dust-jacket, dust-jacket showing some wear at folds otherwise very good condition, copyright 1967 by Winthrop Edey, published in London by Studio Vista Ltd, SBN (sic) 289 37056 6

£7.50

Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World by Brian Loomes

This is the complete 21st Century Edition, and is, as far as current knowledge goes, the definitive list!

This is the culmination of many years' work by the author, not least in terms of getting permission from the beneficiaries of the estate of the late GH Baillie to use the contents of his book...

This volume is hugely expanded and contains information on over 90,000 makers working between the late 16th and early 20th centuries. As well as makers and retailers of clocks and watches the list also includes makers of scientific instruments, sundials and barometers, and a small bibliography.

Hardback with paper dust-jacket, all in A1 condition, copyright 2006, published in London by NAG Press, ISBN 0-7198-0330-6

£45.00 saving you £5 on the list price

The Artistry Of The English Watch, by Cedric Jagger

This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in English watches, and would make a wonderful birthday present!

Lavishly illustrated with 16 colour plates and 93 black & white ones of mouth-watering watches, watch parts and garnitures, it really makes you want to hold the items in your hand.

The book deals with watches purely as works of art, and illustrates the development of that art.

A superb book.

Hardback with paper dust-jacket, very good condition, large format (11.5" high by 9.25" wide), 152 pages + bibliography & index, copyright Cedric Jagger 1988, published by David Charles ISBN 0 7153 8935 1

£25.00