George III mahogany eight-day longcase clock with moonphase
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1770
This George III longcase clock, dating to circa 1770 and signed by Thomas Bullock of Bath, features an eight-day, four-pillar movement with rack and bell striking alongside an anchor escapement regulated by a seconds pendulum.
Its 12-inch brass break-arch dial incorporates corner rococo spandrels, a subsidiary seconds dial, an arched calendar aperture, and an engraved coastal scene depicting a square-rigged ship passing a lighthouse. The arch displays a rolling moonphase mechanism inscribed for the moon's age. The mahogany case is fitted with geometric key moulding on the hood cornice, three-quarter columns, a shaped trunk door, and integral bracket feet on the plinth base.
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
- Longcase clock
- Dial Engraving
- Engraved coastal scene with ship and lighthouse
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case Dimensions
- 216 cm high, 51 cm wide, 25.5 cm deep
- Maker and Origin
- Thomas Bullock, Bath
- Maker / attribution
- Thomas Bullock
- Dial Size and Design
- 12-inch brass break-arch dial
- Movement Specification
- Four-pillar rack and bell striking with anchor escapement
Design
- Dial Composition
- The clock has a 12-inch brass break-arch dial with a subsidiary seconds dial and a shaped calendar aperture. The central area is engraved with a coastal scene showing a square-rigged ship passing a lighthouse. The lower margin is signed 'Tho's, Bullock, BA,TH'. The dial features an applied silvered Roman numeral chapter ring with an outer minute track and Arabic numerals at five-minute intervals. The corners are decorated with rococo scroll cast spandrels.
- Visible features
- • Full-length mahogany case with an arched hood supported by side columns and resting on a plinth base with bracket feet. • Arched dial showing a silvered chapter ring, subsidiary seconds, calendar sector, and painted moonphase in the arch. • Rococo scroll spandrels at the corners of the brass dial plate.
- Movement and Mechanism
- The clock operates on an eight-day, four-pillar movement with rack and bell striking. It features an anchor escapement regulated by a seconds pendulum. The movement retains its original seatboard, which rests on the case's cheek uprights. The arch features a rolling moonphase mechanism with lunettes depicting terrestrial and celestial globes, set beneath a curved scale calibrated for the moon's age. The moon disc has undergone past re-touching and is connected to the movement.
- Case Construction and Condition
- The mahogany case features an ogee geometric key moulded cornice, a break-arch glazed hinged front, and three-quarter columns. The sides include small rectangular windows and quarter columns applied against rear bargeboards. The trunk has a concave throat moulding above a caddy-moulded door. Condition issues include a replaced hood top board, a full-length crack in the trunk door, a replaced lock, and veneer patches and cracks on the plinth base. The hour hand is a replacement and the minute hand has been repaired.
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: Source notes the hour hand is a replacement and the minute hand has been repaired.
- Research required: Source notes a crack running from top to bottom on the trunk door and a replaced hood top board.
- Research required: Clock is sold without a winder.