Dent Mahogany Wall Regulator with Dennison's Three-Legged Gravity Escapement, No. 1437
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1853
This English precision wall regulator was manufactured by Dent, 61 Strand & 34 Royal Exchange, London, circa 1853, bearing serial number 1437. According to the source, the movement features a substantial four-pillar construction secured to a cast-iron backplate with Harrison's maintaining power, six-crossing wheels, and Dennison's early three-legged gravity escapement.
The timekeeper is fitted with an Arnold-style zinc and steel gridiron pendulum comprising five rods and a brass-clad pierced bob. A 15-inch circular silvered regulator dial presents an outer minutes ring, an upper subsidiary Roman hour chapter ring, and a lower subsidiary seconds dial, accompanied by blued steel hands.
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 regulator
- Escapement
- Dennison's three-legged gravity escapement
- Dial Diameter
- 15 inches
- Pendulum Type
- Five-rod zinc and steel gridiron pendulum
- Overall Height
- 60 inches (152 cm)
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker & Address
- Dent, 61 Strand & 34 Royal Exchange London
- Maker / attribution
- Dent
Design
- Visible features
- • The circular silvered regulator dial shows an outer minutes track, an upper subsidiary dial with Roman numerals for hours, and a lower subsidiary seconds dial. • A heavy cylindrical patinated weight hangs suspended to the left of the pendulum rod assembly. • The multi-rod gridiron pendulum features a large brass-clad circular bob with two rectangular central cutouts. • The movement and pendulum are mounted to a tall dark backplate, with a silvered beat scale positioned below the pendulum bob.
- Dial and Visual Configuration
- The timekeeper features a circular silvered regulator dial measuring 15 inches across, arranged with an outer minutes ring that encloses an upper subsidiary Roman hour chapter ring and a lower subsidiary seconds dial, indicated by blued steel hands. As photographed without its housing, the clock is mounted directly to a tall dark backplate, with a heavy cylindrical patinated weight suspended to the left of the pendulum rod assembly and a silvered beat scale positioned below the pendulum bob. The auction text also describes a 'brass shuttered winding hole' and a mahogany housing with glazed sides, though the available photograph depicts only the bare movement, backplate, weight, and pendulum assembly.
- Pendulum Construction and Compensation
- The pendulum follows a design attributed in the catalogue to John Arnold. In the photograph, the assembly consists of a multi-rod gridiron structure carrying a large brass-clad circular bob pierced by two rectangular cutouts. According to the auction description, the pendulum comprises two zinc and three steel rods suspended from the backplate. The bob's center of gravity rests on a screw threaded into the lowest cross piece, which can be turned for adjustment via small pin holes along its length, terminating in an index pointing to the silvered beat scale.
- Reported Movement and Escapement Mechanics
- The internal mechanism is described in the auction text as a 'substantial four pillar movement secured to brackets on the cast - iron backplate'. The movement is catalogued as having Harrison's maintaining power, wheels cut with six crossings, and an escapement pivoted beneath arched cutouts in the plates. The escapement is source-reported as Dennison's three-legged gravity escapement. The catalogue footnotes link this design to Edmund Beckett Dennison's work on the Westminster clock beginning in 1852, noting that an 1852 drawing sent to Astronomer Royal G. B. Airy is 'virtually identical to the gravity escapement in the present clock'. Because the dial conceals the wheelwork and escapement in the photograph, these mechanical features remain source-reported.
Identification
- Serial number
- 1437
- 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 outer arched mahogany glazed case described in the auction text is not present in this photograph, which shows the clock mounted solely on its backplate.
- Research required: Internal escapement components and wheelwork are concealed behind the regulator dial.