8 Day Clock Movement Identification

[Alun]

Hi all...I'm looking for some more kind knowledge from the community.

I've got hold of a nice looking art deco 8 day mantle clock.

It has a Westminster and Whittington chime.

It's made in England and was presented to a man for his long service in 1936.

There's no identity anywhere on the case or the movement (other than Made in England) and I haven't seen one like this before...so is it German or English?

It's nicely made with screws holding the levers rather than pins and a chrome plated rack....but it doesn't feel like it's a clock from a 'top end' manufacturer.

Ideas always welcome ..

Cheers Al

[Alun]

Hi all....I think I've answered my own question...

I believe it's a Walter Petersen clock made in the early 1930s....maybe in Fontenoy, France??

Believe it or not it has 8 hammers and chimes quite a crazy sounding Westminster melody.

It also plays another melody that I've never heard before and I'm going to guess that's the Fontenoy chime.

Cheers 

Al

[oldhippy]

It is a Walter Petersen movement.  Fontenoy made clocks it is not a chime melody, there clocks normally chime the westminster chime. 

[Alun]

Hi Old Hippy, thanks for the reply.... believe me this clock hasn't got a regular four note Westminster chime....the other chime is (let's call it) 'European'.

It has 8 chime rods and it plays all eight in a set of chimes( ie an hour set) with three being the strike.

Any ideas of what tunes were available back then?

 

[RichardHarris123]

8 minutes ago, Alun said:

Any ideas of what tunes were available back then?

German death metal?  Sorry I couldn't resist. Hehe. 

[Alun]

5 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

German death metal?  Sorry I couldn't resist. Hehe. 

[rjenkinsgb]

54 minutes ago, Alun said:

Any ideas of what tunes were available back then?

Whittington? That's an eight-note one.

Example here - my parents had a very nice grandfather clock that could be set to Westminster or Whittington (though it played it at a but slower pace than in the video).

 

 

[Alun]

It's not a Whittington...well I don't think it is.

There's a couple of quick succession notes within the tune

I wonder if I can upload a sound file.

[Dell]

Google search.

[oldhippy]

The only other I can think of is St Michael. 

Could you make the scale and upload it so I can see.

[Alun]

43 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

The only other I can think of is St Michael. 

Could you make the scale and upload it so I can see.

Hi there....you're right about St Michael's. The first chime is definitely that.

I've read on other forums that this movement has a 4 chime bar version that plays 'fontenoy'...

I wanted to upload the tune as an .MP4 but the forum won't let it

I'll try a count the bars for you, standby.

Btw I'm UK based so I'm really doubtful that it's God Save America

[Alun]

Ok here goes...

The sequence of the hour chime is as follows...noting the first rod is next to the movement and the strike rods are 7,8,9.

3 6 2 7 4 5 8 5 7 6 2 3 8 2 3 7 6 4 5 8 4 7 6 2 3 5 8 

Then it strikes.

Just for clarity the St Michael's chime works ok so I'm confident the above chime is not out of sequence (I think )

 

Btw....the rods are not in size order either IE shortest to longest or vice versa.

Edited October 2, 2024 by Alun
Forgot words