Charles Frodsham Astronomical Regulator Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1855 or later
Maker / issuer
Charles FrodshamThis astronomical regulator clock attributed to Charles Frodsham features a silvered metal regulator dial set in a mahogany case. The dial layout includes an outer minute track calibrated in five-minute Arabic increments, a subsidiary seconds dial marked in ten-second divisions above, and an eccentric lower hour dial.
Engravings on the dial face attribute the piece to 'Charles Frodsham Clock Maker' at '84 Strand, London to the Queen'. Medallions below the center mention a royal appointment and a gold medal from the 1855 Paris Exhibition.
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
- Astronomical regulator
- Case Material
- Mahogany with glass front door
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- Charles Frodsham
- Left Dial Inscription
- CHARLES FRODSHAM Clock Maker
- Exhibition Inscription
- Paris Exn 1855 Gold Medal of Honour
- Right Dial Inscription
- N° 84, STRAND, LONDON To the Queen
Design
- Visible features
- • Silvered circular regulator dial with central minute hand and two vertically arranged subsidiary dials • Mahogany hood with flared cornice moulding • Engraved royal cartouches flanking the lower subsidiary dial, including a reference to Paris Exn 1855 • Outer track numbered in five-minute intervals from 5 to 60
- Dial Configuration and Inscriptions
- The clock displays a circular silvered metal regulator dial with an outer circumference marked in Arabic numerals at five-minute intervals. Two eccentric subsidiary dials, described as 12 cm in diameter, indicate seconds in ten-second divisions on the upper register and hours numbered from 1 to 24 on the lower register. Engravings in Gothic lettering flank the lower subsidiary register. The left side is inscribed 'CHARLES FRODSHAM Clock Maker' below a cartouche displaying an anchor encircled by 'By appointment to the Queen'. The right side reads 'N° 84, STRAND, LONDON To the Queen' beneath a second anchor cartouche inscribed 'Paris Exn 1855' at the center and 'Gold Medal of Honour' along the perimeter.
- Case Construction and Movement Details
- The case is constructed from mahogany with a glass front door, with the hood displaying a flared cornice moulding in visual observation. Although internal mechanism components are not verified by visible imagery in the record, the text describes the instrument as a 'Pendolo cronografico di Frodsham' utilizing a deadbeat escapement with mercury compensation. According to the source description, the pendulum bob consists of a steel cylinder filled with mercury to counteract temperature expansion along the suspension rod. Adjustment is reported via screwing or unscrewing the cylinder using a small handlebar on the rod, with a graduated upper rim and a pointer at the bottom moving against an index scale.
- Cataloguing Discrepancies and Operating Status
- The auction title catalogues the clock to the date period '1800-1850'. However, the engraved inscription referencing the 'Paris Exn 1855' and the 'Gold Medal of Honour' conflicts with an attribution preceding 1855. Conflicting statements also surround the functional status reported by the seller. The instrument is described as perfectly functioning, yet an accompanying asterisked note qualifies that it has currently been stopped for a long time after previously operating.
Identification
- 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: The auction title lists the date range as 1800-1850, which conflicts directly with the engraved inscription referencing the 1855 Paris Exhibition.
- Research required: Internal movement and pendulum mechanism are not shown in the image.