One Of The Earliest Grandfather Clocks Ever Made - 1690 William Clement English Longcase Clock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ม.ค. 2018
- In 1670 William Clement invented the anchor escapement which made the longcase grandfather clock possible. After apprenticing in London with his father, William Clement Jr. set off for Totness, England to establish himself as a clockmaker. Shorter and less ornate, his clocks were more affordable than the fancy clocks made in London. This is one of those first grandfather clocks for you to enjoy.
Omg, that is a gorgeous clock. They didn't miss with the elegant details. Thanks for the video.
This is fascinating! Also, that slightly off-kilter ticking is driving me up the wall 😂
Thank you for sharing this piece of history with us
Glad you enjoyed it
That sound 😊
Yep, nice isn't it
I enjoyed the video. This clock is a true piece of art and an antuique. And it is also well built since i see it still working.
There are very few mechanical things built in the 1600s that are still running correctly, much less still working as they were designed. It is amazing!
Beautiful. Would love to have measurements from that Beautiful pice. Thanks for sharing.
This clock is absolutely gorgeous!! I love it!! I have always been fascinated with antique clocks. Have an awesome Wednesday!😀
Thanks. With William Clement's invention of the anchor escapement and long pendulum, timekeeping accuracy went from within minutes per day to within seconds per week. Life changed from that point forward. Few people understand the importance of Clement's contribution to society and industry. (And he gave us the Grandfather clock!)
The Clock Guy Very interesting!!
Thank you. I hope all is well with you. Thanks for watching.
Just gorgeous!
Thank you. I hope all is well with you. Thanks for watching.
This is fascinating. ☺❤
Thank you for commenting.
so gorgeous!!
You're awesome. I'm a clocker too
My neighbour had a magnificent long case clock that had been in her family since 17 something...I really regret not recording it, it was the sound track to many years of our life as it's chimes could be heard through the wall in the still of the night...It had a ship on a steel dial that rocked back and forth., but with the decorative pierced brass corners that yours has...It was always 5 minutes fast....Doreen died aged 92, and her daughter inherited the clock...the chimes were not dissimilar to yours... a high Clear chime, and the ticking similar too....
Doreens had the maker engraved on, but can't remember the name ....I may contact her daughter to find out. ~Really miss Doreen AND her clock....the case was a delicious reddish brown..either oak or mahogany...wish I'd paid more attention when I used to go round..I know nothing about clocks, but Doreen's was a beauty.
Love your parquet floor
Thank you.
beautiful
Thank you! 😊 I want to redo this video. Stay tuned.
Great video love the look of this clock.sub for you
Like and watching your playlist in full Richie
Splendid
Thanks.
Wow! She's a beauty and the parquet floor it rests on is as well a treasure to behold. The discussion and the comments are very interesting. In particular the differentiation of a Birdcage from a plated movement with the outlining of the plates and pillars in vertical and horizontal orientations & visa versa respectively. Good to know. Of note would be the winding of the clock in which the chain is pulled to raise the weight to allow it's appreciable weight to potentiate the action of the clock through the escapement of the stored energy. My father would have struck me with a switch had I ever treated any of his clocks with such disdain. Have always been told and learned by example when walking through the house to wind and set the clocks that one should assist the clock by partially alleviating the weight upon the chain by carefully and gently using the left hand to raise the weight while drawing the chain through the movement to raise the chain to it's wound height. This allows the significant torque not to be placed upon the movement and it's weight wheel output shaft. A little assistance for a grand Lady is never the wrong thing to do without regard to her age. After all my father also taught me that a Lady is always a Lady. What a beauty she is indeed.
This is a very nice clock, and I enjoyed your video, but JC's comment below is correct. This is a plated movement clock, not a birdcage/lantern/posted movement. Plated movements have a front and a back plate positioned vertically. They are held together with four to six turned posts, called pillars. A birdcage movement has a top and bottom plate, positioned horizontally, held together with four corner posts. JC is also correct (he knows his stuff) when he mentions that the hands are later. I would go a little further, and mention that it has what appears to be a one handed clock dial (no minute markings, but only hour, half hour and quarter hour markings). Also the dial with its early corner spandrels looks earlier than the movement. This makes me think that the dial was married to the movement- perhaps fairly recently, or perhaps long ago. I suppose the movement could have been altered into a two handed clock, but the movement appears to be later than the dial. The case also looks to be a nice 18th century one, but not as early as the 17th century.
An original clock in good condition by William Clement the father would sell for many thousands of dollars, even in this depressed market. One by his son, not as much, but still the name and connection would add to the value.
For those curious to see posted movements, a google search for "Birdcage Clock movements" then clicking " images", can view many photos of both birdcage lantern and tall case movements.
I am not one to dismiss all marriages of clocks. If done early it can be an interesting study in re-cycling in the past. Not so much so if recent, but face it- most of us can't justify spending the amount of money a fine 17th or early 18th century clock in perfect original condition would cost. If money were no object, I would have a house full of perfect early clocks by great makers, but such is not the case. My "imperfect" clocks have given me much pleasure. Just be careful to pay the right price for an altered or married clock, and not what a "perfect" one would cost.
I agree with you and JC. I responded to his post and I will repost my response here for you also. I still don't know what was going through my head when I called it a birdcage. Yes, I know what they are and I know this is not one. Sorry for the error. I wasn't going to redo the whole video for that unintelligent comment. I think I was telling someone about the lantern clocks that proceeded the longcase, and just lost my mind for a few seconds. Thanks for your interesting comments. Repost: I agree with you JC, that the hands are not original. I have seen similar hands on very old clocks, but as you said, they fit the chapter ring better. I still like them and don't really have the desire to replace them. Many old clocks had modifications made in their lifetimes, and I am keeping it as it is.
As for the lantern or birdcage comments, I really don't know what I was thinking when I said that. I know exactly what they look like. I even commented to someone about how they were originally hung from the wall. (Good luck trying to hang this clock's movement from a wall :) I think I was just lumping all of the movements into one category. I really can't remember. Thanks for catching that.
Thanks for responding. Once it's out there all we can do is wish it wasn't. Nevertheless, a good video about an interesting clock. Thanks for posting it. There are so many different things to know when dealing with different types and periods of clocks. I myself know almost nothing about anything other than English tall case clocks made before 1840. I love the history connected with them, and can only imagine the stories they could tell- Not to mention their beauty and craftsmanship. I have collected antiques my entire life, but few things make me feel as connected to people and places of the past as an early 18th century tall case clock.
You are absolutely spot on with your assessment 👍
Awesome! how fascinating! It's a bird cage!!!
Thanks for subscribing. You are correct, it is a birdcage......movement. Prior to Clement's invention of the "anchor escapement," clocks required a much wider swing of the pendulum. These clocks were mounted on the wall to limit their risk of being knocked or bumped. They were called lantern clocks due to their resemblance to lanterns, and also resembled a bird cage, hence the birdcage nickname.
Clement's pendulum allowed those wall clock movements to be installed in wooden cases. All Grandfather clocks owe their existence to William Clement.
I love it
Replayed the videos, hope this helps you and your family out.
Yes. Thank you.
Wonderful clock
Thank you.
Great!
Thank you. I hope all is well with you. Thanks for watching.
I have ticking behind me a 1747 T Kefford movement and it keeps the time within the minute after all this time been in the family for the last 200 years and it will stay in the family but mine is is a 7 day wind up .... part of the family!
How heavy is the weight and what is the pendulum length? Thanks for the clip. Dave
When the video ended the sound of ticking went straight on. This was because there is a longcase clock in the room with me: not quite as early or distinguished in origin as the one shown here, but put together over the years in much the same way - dial about 1720, oak case about 1750, movement probably towards 1800. Mine is also a thirty-hour but has a minute track on the dial and must therefore have been two-handed from the beginning. The bell makes exactly the same vibrating sound. I was interested to learn about the sliding bar which pushes up to lock the hood in place so that this cannot be removed unless the trunk door is open; my clock has lost the bar but I can feel the channel inside the case in which it ran, and the iron staple (whose purpose I now understand) is still there inside the hood door.
AWW so beautifull clock amazing dat it last so long .
It amazes me that your clock is still working after 320 years. I wonder if any clock built today will still be running in the year 2318.
It amazes me too!!
Probably NOT, but long case clocks do need looking after, my neighbour used to get hers serviced{ hers was 17 something, and was always 5 minutes fast...maybe that was how she liked it...family tradition?... but they like to be kept moving, my brother had one he kept inactive, and it seized up......they seem happier to be working.
Nope!
I have seen a grandfather clock that was made between 1820 and 1840 I believe it was. I have also recorded the chimes of it. You can see it on my channel.
All antique clocks have a touch of magic about them but, sadly, this one isn't original (as in not having a 'marriage' of parts from different clocks.)The hands are wrong period (belong to 1750 - 1800) and the dial is calibrated for a single handed (hour hand only, giving the quarters) clock. The corner 'spandrels' are correct period. Not sure about the oak case. Looks a bit suspect to me but it's still a lovely bit of furniture. The important thing is - that you didn't pay too high a price for it - and that you like it. It's a nice thing to have regardless of its mis-matches.
It's swings and roundabouts with clocks. We have an original clock by Leonard Weatherhead made in the 1740's, Kirby Lonsdale, Cumbria, bought from clock expert Brian Loomes - but had to pay a premium for it, almost £3,000. Sadly, (for those that already have them), longcase clocks have plummeted in value. I've just repaired a clock for my brother which is a 'marriage' but he paid a fair price. Last year I renovated a painted dial clock by Chaplin & Fuller, Bury St Edmunds (UK) circa 1820. Turns out it's a 'sleeper', an original that has probably sat in someones attic or garage for maybe 50 to 100 years. I paid just over a £100 for it but it's probably cost me well over £200 after repairs. Enjoy your clock.
I agree it is a marriage. Longcase clocks were hugely expensive back then. Most were repurposed as time went on. I contacted the Totness Museum to find out more about the clock. They said the short stature was consistent with clocks in their area, because most homes had low ceilings to save on heating. They thought the dial and the spandrels were consistent with the introduction of the seconds pendulum time period. They said the hands were later, just as you did. I also agree that they are not original, but I haven't got around to looking for correct ones. Might you know where I can find some?
I have a couple books written by Brian Loomes. He has great knowledge of British clocks. I bet your Weatherhead clock is beautiful.
@@the_clock_guy Hi 'Clock Guy. I'll answer in more detail tomorrow. I need to look at some of the parts suppliers I've used in the past. I'll let you know.
@@the_clock_guy Thanks. Yes, the Weatherhead clock 30 hour is a fine example of the clockmaker's craft. We are very lucky to live 30 minutes away from Brian Loomes and I have several signed copies of his books, some of which are now out of print and fetch high prices. In fact one of his books features the Weatherhead clock. It's a very simple oak cased country clock (as you say, suited to low ceiling households.) Personally, I think clocks made by country makers are far more interesting than provincial examples.
I wouldn't worry too much much about the hand style of your clock but you might try your luck with a company such as Cousins UK Wholesale. If they don't have anything, I'm sure they'd be able to recommend somewhere that might stock them. There are several such companies dealing in repro parts - a Google search should help - and there's also ebay and Etsy.
Incidentally, the Weatherhead clock hands are handmade (no pun intended) replacements but they are in period and don't detract. Hands often perished on old clocks and replacements are an acceptable substitute. Acid from fingers corrodes them over the years. I'm sure you know a lot of this anyway. I think that the escape wheel has been replaced. Escape wheels are high wear parts. Most antique clocks of that age will have been repaired over the years. It's all part of the history.
'Len' (our nickname for the Leonard Weatherhead clock) needs a bit of TLC. I need to dismantle the movement and give him a good clean :-)
That's a beautiful clock I've got my eye on one just like it...what price would you say is a good price to pay??
Thanks for watching and commenting. I have no idea about price. I bought this at an auction were not one person knew anything about clocks. A lot depends on condition (especially the face). Also, my motto when buying anything is,
"The one who says a price first, loses." Always get the other side of the sale to bring out the first price! Always!
The Clock Guy many thanks for the reply the clock I'm actually looking at is up for sale for £ 249.00 pound which I'm thinking is pretty good price and is in great running order!!
was the clock made by William Clement?
The dial is very dirty and needs a good clean but I can just make it out and it's does look lik it says William clement ive been visiting the antique shore now for the 3 days and it's always running and on time I think at that price I might take a chance on it apart from the brass dial needing a good clean the cabinet looks in great condition!!
I would take a chance on it if I had the opportunity. They didn't make a ton of them, and they only made them up until the early 1700s. You could spent thousands on a brand new Grandfather clock, or you could buy the Wm. Clement and own a piece of history and a nice work of art.
This is not a "lantern or birdcage" movement: those have 4 vertical pillars/posts with the plates on the top and bottom. It's a beautiful piece. The hands are completely wrong for it. I believe those hands are from about 1830 or later, where the clock itself is much older (I'd estimate after 1730, based on the plain pillars, but the fairly early crown spandrels). The hour hand should just barely reach into the ring marking the 1/4 hours, and same for the minute hand (which looks like it's been shortened, but it is still passing outside of the dial ring).
I agree with you that the hands are not original. I have seen similar hands on very old clocks, but as you said, they fit the chapter ring better. I still like them and don't really have the desire to replace them. Many old clocks had modifications made in their lifetimes, and I am keeping it as it is.
As for the lantern or birdcage comments, I really don't know what I was thinking when I said that. I know exactly what they look like. I even commented to someone about how they were originally hung from the wall. (Good luck trying to hang this clock's movement from a wall :) I think I was just lumping all of the movements into one category. I really can't remember.
You seem to know a lot about old clocks. I have one that I need help with. May I send you pictures? Better yet, I will make a quick video of my pictures. Any help would be a blessing. My best to you.
Quite right it is a plated movement and the dial is a marriage single hand dial on two hand movement so itb8s a dud.
Yes although it is really attractive clock, like another commenter said, its a marriage as the dial would never have been paired with that thirty hour movement which looks like a birdcage movement circa 1725/ 35
Hands are also not original as they are too long for the dial probably from around 1760
The dial however is from 1685/90
tall clock, please...
Tall clock, longcase, I agree. Most people don't use those names for tall clocks. I made it simply so the average person will find it.
Beautiful face.
Thank you. I hope all is well with you. Thanks for watching.
Sorry but the single hand dial is married to a two hand movement it is therefore a made up item not genuine
This longcase Clock is not anything like 1690 but is late 18th century. also this William Clement has nothing to do with the 17th century William Clement. This is a very inaccurate video.
Why be negative and spoil his fun, he's gone to a lot of trouble.