A 20th Century Congreve rolling ball clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
20th Century
This lot features a 20th-century Congreve rolling ball clock offered at auction by Bonhams. Invented in 1808 by Sir William Congreve, the mechanism employs an inclined grooved table over which a rolling ball travels, alternating tilt to regulate time.
The movement features three silvered dials for time divisions, supported on a brass framework with four columns above a tilting zig-zag track. The structure rests on four spherical feet upon a polished wooden plinth. Bonhams notes that this lot included John Wilding's book, 'How to make a Congreve Clock'.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Rolling ball clock
- Title
- A 20th Century Congreve rolling ball clock
- Accompanying Book
- John Wilding's book How to make a Congreve Clock
Design
- Visible features
- • Brass four-column frame supporting an upper movement and a lower tilting grooved zig-zag track • Upper movement fitted with three silvered dials indicating hours, minutes, and seconds or auxiliary increments • Corner pillars and movement crest adorned with finials featuring white spherical elements • Brass frame rests on four dark spherical feet set atop a rectangular wooden plinth • Small engraved brass plaque affixed to the top surface of the front plinth
- Frame and Base Construction
- Visual observations record a "Brass four-column frame supporting an upper movement and a lower tilting grooved zig-zag track". The corner pillars and movement crest are adorned with finials featuring white spherical elements. The brass frame rests on four dark spherical feet positioned on a rectangular wooden plinth. Additionally, a small engraved brass plaque is visible affixed to the top surface of the front plinth.
- Identity and Classification
- Bonhams catalogued Lot 555 as "A 20th Century Congreve rolling ball clock,". The auction footnote remarks that Sir William Congreve invented the rolling ball clock in 1808. The catalogue entry records that "This lot includes John Wilding's book How to make a Congreve Clock." No specific clockmaker or workshop name is documented in the auction text.
- Dials and Movement Arrangement
- The upper movement is fitted with three silvered dials indicating hours, minutes, and seconds or auxiliary increments. These dials are arranged side-by-side across the front of the upper movement framework. Below the upper movement sits the tilting grooved zig-zag track characteristic of the Congreve rolling ball design, supported within the four-column frame.
- Auction Context and Condition Boundaries
- The clock was offered at Bonhams' Chester sale of Clocks & Barometers on 7 October 2004, carrying a presale estimate of £1,000 - £2,000. No maker attribution, dimensions, or plaque transcription are provided in the source description. Furthermore, while the clock is shown open, no protective case or glass dome is mentioned in the catalogue text or shown in the photograph.
Identification
- Lot Number
- 555
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: No specific maker is stated in the auction listing text, despite an engraved plaque visible on the base plinth
- Research required: Protective case or dome is not present in the photograph