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Grandfather clock


Pip

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I know nowt about clocks being more of a watch man, and a friend has just bought a GF clock and sent me some pics asking for thoughts. My thoughts were: “I need to ask the good people on the forum!”

Does this look good/bad/indifferent? I’m assuming from the looks of it a good service is needed, in terms of price how does a clock service compare to a non complicated watch assuming it’s just a service and not a repair? About the same or much more or a bit less?

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These Longcases clocks with painted dials are called White Dial Clocks. The hood of this one has what is called a swan neck, pillars going up the side of the case with a decretive full door. A well-proportioned case.  The bottom part of the trunk (red arrow) looks a different colour wood to the rest of the case, it might be the photo, if not then this has received repairs. It is not unusual to find the bottoms missing, in those days it would have been standing on a stone slab floor, the floor would be washed with a bucket of water and the bottoms would turn rotten due to the wet.  

The movement is a four-pillar movement with rack striking and runs for 8 days. It has an anchor escapement and strikes on a bell. The style of the clock pillars are from around the 1800, the same applies to the hands.

The dial is well painted and shows good detail, it has breaks in the painted corners so they do not run into one another from the tops to the bottoms, This means it is not from the very late 1800 but from the early part of 1800. So we know the movement, dial and case are correct. The seconds on this dial tells me it is no later than 1830.  

I for got to post the picture. Here it is.

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These Longcases clocks with painted dials are called White Dial Clocks. The hood of this one has what is called a swan neck, pillars going up the side of the case with a decretive full door. A well-proportioned case.  The bottom part of the trunk (red arrow) looks a different colour wood to the rest of the case, it might be the photo, if not then this has received repairs. It is not unusual to find the bottoms missing, in those days it would have been standing on a stone slab floor, the floor would be washed with a bucket of water and the bottoms would turn rotten due to the wet.  

The movement is a four-pillar movement with rack striking and runs for 8 days. It has an anchor escapement and strikes on a bell. The style of the clock pillars are from around the 1800, the same applies to the hands.

The dial is well painted and shows good detail, it has breaks in the painted corners so they do not run into one another from the tops to the bottoms, This means it is not from the very late 1800 but from the early part of 1800. So we know the movement, dial and case are correct. The seconds on this dial tells me it is no later than 1830.  


Wow, that’s some knowledge! So it sounds like he has managed to find a nice one. Anything in particular we should check in a movement like this?

Any clockmakers in the Home Counties / west of London you’d recommend to service it?


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With Long case clocks they are under considerable force by their weights. It is normally wear that will cause them to stop. So you look for wear in the wheel holes and wear to the pivots and the pallet faces. It is extremely dirty and dry due to lack of oil. The lines need replacing.

Sorry I do not give recommendations on who could repair clocks.

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