Burr walnut eight-day observatory regulator longcase clock by Baron Hill of Crewe
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1850
Source reports this mid-Victorian floorstanding observatory regulator longcase clock was made by Baron Hill of Crewe circa 1850. The arched-top case is veneered in figured burr walnut, standing 6 feet 7 inches high, with glazed trunk door and carved fretwork below the dial and door base.
The engraved silvered brass regulator dial displays an outer minute track, with subsidiary dials showing hours at the top and seconds below. The movement is an eight-day mechanism with shaped plates, Harrison's maintaining power, and a deadbeat escapement, driving a cylindrical brass weight via a spoked pulley and a heavy brass bob on an ebonised wooden rod.
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
- Date
- c. 1850
- Type
- Floorstanding observatory regulator longcase clock
- Maker
- Baron Hill of Crewe
- Height
- 6ft 7"
- Duration
- 8 day
- Escapement
- Deadbeat escapement
- Case material
- Burr walnut
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- Baron Hill of Crewe
Design
- Visible features
- • Arched top burr walnut case with matching figured veneer on trunk backboard and plinth base • Carved openwork fretwork brackets beneath the circular dial and above the plinth inside the glazed trunk • Silvered circular dial featuring regulator layout with central minute hand and two subsidiary dials • Suspended cylindrical brass drive weight on a spoked pulley and a large circular brass pendulum bob mounted on a dark rod
- Case Construction
- The clock is housed in an arched-top case veneered in figured burr walnut, described as a jeweller's shop style. It features a glazed trunk door with carved decorative work beneath the dial and at the lower section of the door. The base is designed as a box with a recessed panel, mounted on a plinth skirt and pad feet. The overall height is 6 feet 7 inches.
- Dial and Movement
- The circular engraved silvered brass dial is mounted within a cast brass sighting ring and features an outer minute track. It displays an unconventional layout with the hour subsidiary dial at the top and the seconds subsidiary dial at the bottom. The movement is of eight-day duration with thick shaped plates and four large turned pillars.
- Mechanical Components and Restoration Status
- The clock includes a cylindrical brass weight, a spoked pulley, and a heavy brass-cased pendulum suspended from an ebonized wooden rod, featuring a pointer and calibrated rating nut. Hands are fashioned from blued steel. Dealer records state that the movement, dial, pendulum, pulley, and weight were unrestored at the time of cataloguing. Features such as Harrison's maintaining power and the deadbeat escapement are reported by the source.
Identification
- Reference
- Baron/16
- 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: Maker attribution and specific movement features such as Harrison's maintaining power and deadbeat escapement are source-reported and not externally visible in the photograph
- Research required: Dealer notes the movement, dial, pendulum, pulley, and weight were unrestored at time of cataloguing