Looks like Chinese crap.

[oldhippy]

Just look at this rubbish, very poor movement, modern and made to look old, extremely poor painting on the porcelain? panels looks like child has done it. Asking price £275. You can buy a nice French carriage clock for that, not a heap of junk like this. Avoid at all costs.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porcelain-Panelled-Miniature-Day-Date-Carriage-Clock-Open-To-Offers-/172386900231?hash=item28230f5907:g:9bgAAOSwal5YDnPQ

[lluvitar]

Well it does say "antique style".  

Seller has a 100% rating though.  Of one.  

Buyer beware. 

oldhippy, your title reminds me of that SNL skit..."If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!"  Or was it Monty Python?  

[oldhippy]

9 minutes ago, lluvitar said:

Well it does say "antique style".  

Seller has a 100% rating though.  Of one.  

Buyer beware. 

oldhippy, your title reminds me of that SNL skit..."If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!"  Or was it Monty Python?  

I don't know about that. Have you heard Neil Young sing Piece of Crap? It's a gem.

[wls1971]

Every thing he is selling clock wise is of asian origin must have got a container load of the stuff,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beautiful-Day-Date-Skeleton-Fusee-Clock-Open-To-Offers-/172388262692?hash=item2823242324:g:bQ8AAOSwB09YEPRj

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beautiful-Day-Date-Skeleton-Fusee-Clock-Open-To-Offers-/172388262692?hash=item2823242324:g:bQ8AAOSwB09YEPRj

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beautiful-Day-Date-Skeleton-Fusee-Clock-Open-To-Offers-/172388262692?hash=item2823242324:g:bQ8AAOSwB09YEPRj

There is of course nothing wrong with that but there are a few dealers based in the u.k that are making very good livings out of selling these chinese clocks as genuine french clocks at very hefty prices ebay is rife with them at the moment

 

[oldhippy]

I just clicked on the link and I see it has a pinwheel escapement.

[noirrac1j]

Except for the poor quality of the little painted panels, I would not have known the difference between this and the real thing. Always looking to learn. Thanks Old Hippy!

JC

[oldhippy]

Here is the proper thing with a cylinder platform and a bog stranded movement. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTIQUE-FRENCH-MOVEMENT-BRASS-CARRIAGE-CLOCK-C-1910-GOOD-WORKING-ORDER-/122198596063?hash=item1c739a99df:g:hvUAAOSw44BYEIgb

See the difference wheh comparing the two.

 

[Tmuir]

15 hours ago, noirrac1j said:

Except for the poor quality of the little painted panels, I would not have known the difference between this and the real thing. Always looking to learn. Thanks Old Hippy!

JC

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but would I be safe to assume that if the platform escapement is silver (ie steel) and not brass at the minimum its had a modern escapement fitted and at worse its a modern Chinese copy?

[wls1971]

4 minutes ago, Tmuir said:

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but would I be safe to assume that if the platform escapement is silver (ie steel) and not brass at the minimum its had a modern escapement fitted and at worse its a modern Chinese copy?

Modern escapements are made in both brass and silver and a lot of antique french clocks have had the escapemnts replaced at some time for a more modern one. Most of the chinese copys on ebay have the same movement fitted just looking at the copy carriage clock it reeks of poor quality from the castings of the case to the very rough looking movement.

[oldhippy]

2 hours ago, Tmuir said:

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but would I be safe to assume that if the platform escapement is silver (ie steel) and not brass at the minimum its had a modern escapement fitted and at worse its a modern Chinese copy?

Many old platforms were silvered and of a high quality. Just the look of modern platform escapements is enough. With old silvered ones you can see where the silver has worn away. The main giveaway is the balance wheel, hairspring and the screws that make up the platform in fact with a bit of knowledge you will know the whole design is modern, this will apply only to lever platforms. You don’t get modern cylinder platforms.   

[Tmuir]

Thanks, I wasn't aware that some old platforms were silvered, I've still got much to learn...

I've got two French carraige clocks waiting on me to get to a level good enough to service them, although I believe the correct term would actually be timepieces being that neither of them have any striking mechanism in them.

I am confident that both of mine are all original though being one has a cylinder escapement and the otheris all showing its age and has its original travel case.

[GeorgeClarkson]

So basically 275GBP for a crappy remake of a 123GBP REAL antique french carriage clock... since the chinese one costs more, obviously it has to be more original than the "cheaper" antique and correct french one... (INSERT A LOT OF SARCASM HERE AND THERE)

[oldhippy]

If you want any help or advice just ask and good luck. One last thing don't expect to get the same sort of action or time keeping with the cylinder timepiece as with the lever platform, as you can see the cylinder balance wheel isn't compensated there for it can depend on the weather.  

[oldhippy]

9 minutes ago, GeorgeClarkson said:

So basically 275GBP for a crappy remake of a 123GBP REAL antique french carriage clock... since the chinese one costs more, obviously it has to be more original than the "cheaper" antique and correct french one... (INSERT A LOT OF SARCASM HERE AND THERE)

It just depends when it comes to an auction if two people want the same thing the item can end up fetching silly money. I've seen it happen with my own eyes.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Being a "bit" educated in vintage watches, and having been presented with a ~ 100 year old wall clock from an old lady some years ago, I do have a "bit" of a notion of what "old" should look like. Even so, I would always ASK before I buy something that is sold to be "old" but looks otherwise.

What you witnessed I have witnessed too: a bid war is always possible, even for the stupidest item. Yet, only knowledge separates an expensive piece of crap from a cheap, bargain authentic piece of history, sometimes...

[WillFly]

The eBay ad says antique reproduction. What a daft asking price for what is obviously a cheap repro - the movement looks to be pretty crap.

The irony is that you can buy a nice, 1930s mantel clock in a solid wood casing, with a simple but better French movement, for about £30 on eBay, or at an auction house.

Caveat emptor indeed!

[Vich]

Just something OH said about the cylinder clocks timekeeping depending on the weather.  This may sound daft but I just love that - it makes the clock a bit more like us and our arthritis and gives extra character - almost huggable. 

I nearly did not post this after reading it back, but then most people by now know I am a click short of a working ratchet.

Cheers,

Vic

[oldhippy]

18 minutes ago, Vich said:

Just something OH said about the cylinder clocks timekeeping depending on the weather.  This may sound daft but I just love that - it makes the clock a bit more like us and our arthritis and gives extra character - almost huggable. 

I nearly did not post this after reading it back, but then most people by now know I am a click short of a working ratchet.

Cheers,

Vic

[wls1971]

How this one for blatant Chinese crap at an eye watering price  "This is a lovely late 19th Century 8 day miniature French Porcelain Panel Carriage Clock timepiece "

err no it isn't twelve watchers as well,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-8-day-Miniature-French-Porcelain-Panel-Carriage-Clock-Timepiece-WORKING-/121889894894?hash=item1c613431ee:g:IWEAAOSwDuJWue4u

This in my opinion is truly criminal

[MilTimeCan]

On 10/30/2016 at 7:16 AM, WillFly said:

The eBay ad says antique reproduction. What a daft asking price for what is obviously a cheap repro - the movement looks to be pretty crap.

The irony is that you can buy a nice, 1930s mantel clock in a solid wood casing, with a simple but better French movement, for about £30 on eBay, or at an auction house.

Caveat emptor indeed!

Yup, you need a lot of that "caveat emptor" when wandering around on eBay. It's like watching political ads.

[oldhippy]

1 hour ago, wls1971 said:

How this one for blatant Chinese crap at an eye watering price  "This is a lovely late 19th Century 8 day miniature French Porcelain Panel Carriage Clock timepiece "

err no it isn't twelve watchers as well,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-8-day-Miniature-French-Porcelain-Panel-Carriage-Clock-Timepiece-WORKING-/121889894894?hash=item1c613431ee:g:IWEAAOSwDuJWue4u

This in my opinion is truly criminal

Its another piece of crap.

[oldhippy]

Still on the carriage clock theme. This also looks nice until you look at the back plate, yes it is everything they say it is but looking at the back plate you can see where it has been re-bushed and a **BLEEP** mess someone has made of it. With a clock that has the movement visible you shouldn't be able to see where the movement has been re-bushed. Note the click spring and click how they differ from that modern carriage I showed you yesterday.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stunning-Antique-8Day-French-Small-Bronze-Carriage-Mantel-Clock-Tilly-Dorchester-/201709876969?hash=item2ef6d876e9:g:3nEAAOSwLnBX2Whv

[wls1971]

Not working myself on clocks other than the odd Elliott clock service and a couple of carriage clocks, if this clock has been badly re-bushed is that something that can be rectified and corrected ? by someone more competent or is this a permanent disfigurement of the movement.

Edited November 5, 2016 by wls1971

[oldhippy]

30 minutes ago, wls1971 said:

Not working myself on clocks other than the odd Elliott clock service and a couple of carriage clocks, if this clock has been badly re-bushed is that something that can be rectified and corrected ? by someone more competent or is this a permanent disfigurement of the movement.

An experienced clockmaker who would have the correct tools would be able to repair it so that its invisible.  

[atimegoneby]

7 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Still on the carriage clock theme. This also looks nice until you look at the back plate, yes it is everything they say it is but looking at the back plate you can see where it has been re-bushed and a **BLEEP** mess someone has made of it. With a clock that has the movement visible you shouldn't be able to see where the movement has been re-bushed. Note the click spring and click how they differ from that modern carriage I showed you yesterday.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stunning-Antique-8Day-French-Small-Bronze-Carriage-Mantel-Clock-Tilly-Dorchester-/201709876969?hash=item2ef6d876e9:g:3nEAAOSwLnBX2Whv

That's a shame as it spoils what otherwise looks like a nice clock,

mind you it does say stunning , and I think we are stunned !