Dent mahogany wall mounted regulator No. 55557
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early 20th century
This early 20th-century English wall-mounted regulator is documented by Bonhams as signed by Dent, clockmaker to the King, 61 Strand & 4 royal Exchange, London, numbered 55557.
The rectangular mahogany case features a moulded cornice above a long glazed door with a moulded edge and shaped base. Its 9-inch circular painted dial presents a regulator configuration with subsidiary seconds. According to the auction catalogue, the weight-driven movement incorporates 'wriggle' decorated plates, maintaining power, high-count pinions, and a deadbeat escapement. It is equipped with a wooden rod pendulum terminating in a cylindrical bob, suspended from a cast bracket on the backboard.
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
- Wall mounted regulator
- Height
- 141cm (55in) high
- Pendulum
- wooden rod pendulum and cylindrical bob mounted from a cast bracket on the backboard
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker Signature
- Dent, clockmaker to the King, 61 Strand & 4 royal Exchange, London, No55557
- Dial Description
- 9 inch signed painted circular dial with subsidiary seconds
- Movement Features
- 'wriggle' decorated plates, maintaining power, high count pinions and deadbeat escapement
- Maker / attribution
- Dent
Design
- Visible features
- • Rectangular glazed mahogany wall case displaying the pendulum and driving weight • Painted regulator dial with outer minute track and separate subsidiary dials • Long wooden pendulum rod terminating in a cylindrical metallic bob • Single cylindrical driving weight suspended via a brass pulley to the left
- Identity and Dial Arrangement
- The clock is documented by Bonhams as an early 20th-century mahogany wall-mounted regulator bearing the recorded signature 'Dent, clockmaker to the King, 61 Strand & 4 royal Exchange, London, No55557'. In catalogue imagery, dial inscriptions and numbering are not legibly resolvable. The lot text lists a '9 inch signed painted circular dial with subsidiary seconds'. Direct visual observation confirms a 'Painted regulator dial with outer minute track and separate subsidiary dials', presenting the classic format used for precision timing.
- Movement and Pendulum Specification
- According to Bonhams, the timepiece is powered by a 'weight driven movement with 'wriggle' decorated plates, maintaining power, high count pinions and deadbeat escapement'. These mechanical details are internal and not directly inspectable in the external auction photograph. The regulating assembly is recorded as a 'wooden rod pendulum and cylindrical bob mounted from a cast bracket on the backboard'. Visible observations identify a 'Long wooden pendulum rod terminating in a cylindrical metallic bob' hanging vertically behind the weight.
- Case Construction and Observed Layout
- The case is constructed from mahogany with an overall catalogued height of '141cm (55in) high'. The auctioneer describes 'The rectangular case with moulded cornice over a long glazed door with moulded edge and shaped base'. Visual inspection shows a 'Rectangular glazed mahogany wall case displaying the pendulum and driving weight' with a 'Single cylindrical driving weight suspended via a brass pulley to the left' alongside the central pendulum rod.
- Source Evidence and Verification Limitations
- All specifics concerning internal movement components—including the maintaining power, deadbeat escapement, gear pinions, and wriggle-engraved plates—derive exclusively from the auction description and are not observable in the provided view. Likewise, verification of the maker's inscription, serial number 55557, and early 20th-century dating remains dependent on Bonhams' catalogue transcription, as dial lettering cannot be read directly at photograph resolution.
Identification
- Serial number
- 55557
- 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: Movement plates, maintaining power mechanism, and escapement are internal and not directly inspectable in the photograph
- Research required: Dial signature and serial numbering are not legibly resolvable at image resolution