John Wilding gravity escapement longcase clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
2005
This eight-day longcase clock is signed by maker John Wilding in Lurgashall and dated 2005. According to the auction catalogue, the clock was built to a design by Claude Reeve originally published in Model Engineer.
Bonhams reports that the movement is housed in an arched mahogany case featuring a glazed door above a plinth base, measuring 165 cm in total height. The skeletonised movement is constructed with cruciform brass plates united by large blued steel screws, operating an eight-day duration with a four-arm gravity escapement and five-crossing wheelwork. The dial features an open centre encircled by a 9.75-inch silvered Roman chapter ring, blued moon hands, and a centre seconds hand.
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
- Case
- Arched mahogany case with glazed door over plinth base
- Dial
- 9.75-inch signed silvered Roman chapter ring with moon hands
- Type
- Longcase clock
- Dimensions
- 165 cm (65 in)
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker and Origin
- John Wilding, Lurgashall, 2005
- Maker / attribution
- John Wilding
- Movement Construction
- Cruciform plates, large blued steel screws, four-arm gravity escapement, five-crossing wheelwork
- Escapement and Duration
- Eight-day gravity escapement with centre seconds
Design
- Visible features
- • The silvered chapter ring is engraved with Roman numerals, signed 'John Wilding' across VII and 'Lurgashall 2005' across V. • A long blued steel centre seconds hand extends past the outer minute track. • Blued steel moon-tipped hour and minute hands are mounted above an open cruciform front plate. • The pierced brass cruciform plate reveals internal wheelwork and is secured with large blued steel screws.
- Identity and Design Origins
- The clock is an eight-day longcase clock attributed to maker John Wilding and inscribed with the location and date 'Lurgashall 2005'. According to catalogue footnotes, the mechanism is based on a horological design by Claude Reeve that was previously serialised in Model Engineer. The footnotes record a first-person statement indicating that the author produced full-size drawings and an expanded description to broaden the build's popularity beyond the original serialisation.
- Dial and Visual Architecture
- The dial assembly incorporates a 9.75-inch silvered Roman chapter ring with an open centre that leaves the movement plate visible. Directly observed on the dial, the chapter ring carries engraved Roman hour markers, signed 'John Wilding' across VII and 'Lurgashall 2005' across V. Handwork consists of blued steel moon-tipped hour and minute hands, partnered with a long blued steel centre seconds hand extending past the outer minute track.
- Movement Construction and Escapement
- The movement features a skeletonised layout structured around cruciform plates fastened by large blued steel screws. The wheelwork comprises five-crossing wheels operating in conjunction with a four-arm gravity escapement. Direct visual observation confirms that the pierced brass cruciform plate reveals internal wheelwork and is secured with large blued steel screws.
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 mahogany case, plinth base, pendulum, and drive weights reported in the auction description are not shown in this photograph.