Longcase clock by John Fromanteel
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1665-1670
This English longcase clock by John Fromanteel was made in London circa 1665–1670 (dated circa 1668 by the museum) and is housed in a 20th-century reproduction wooden case.
The square brass dial features a matted center, silvered chapter ring, subsidiary seconds dial, calendar aperture, maintaining power shutters, and cherub head spandrels in each corner. It is signed 'Johannes Fromanteel Londini' below the chapter ring. The movement features an eight-day duration, bolt-and-shutter maintaining power, latched plates, and an internal count wheel. Originally constructed with an experimental cross-beat escapement, it was later converted to an anchor escapement.
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
- Maker
- John Fromanteel
- Date range
- 1665-1670
- Dial signature
- Johannes Fromanteel Londini
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case construction
- 20th-century reproduction case
- Movement duration
- 8-day duration
- Escapement history
- Originally fitted with a cross-beat escapement
- Maker / attribution
- John Fromanteel
Design
- Visible features
- • Full-height standing wooden longcase clock featuring figured bookmatched veneer on the trunk door. • Architectural hood topped with a triangular pediment and an applied gilt cresting. • Hood glazed dial door flanked by classical columns with Corinthian-style capital mounts. • Square brass dial with applied silvered chapter ring and gilt cherub spandrels in the four corners.
- Dial and Inscriptions
- The clock has a square brass dial with a matted center, a calendar aperture, an applied silvered chapter ring, a subsidiary seconds dial, and cherub spandrels at each corner. Winding holes feature maintaining power shutters, and the hands are pierced steel hour and minute hands. The plate is signed under the chapter ring at the base of the dial 'Johannes Fromanteel Londini'.
- Case and Physical Housing
- Exterior observation reveals a full-height standing wooden longcase clock with figured bookmatched veneer on the trunk door. The architectural hood features a triangular pediment with applied gilt cresting, and classical columns with Corinthian-style capital mounts flank the glazed dial door. The source documents that the movement and dial are housed in a 20th-century reproduction case rather than an original 17th-century case.
- Movement and Escapement History
- The movement is recorded with an 8-day duration, bolt-and-shutter maintaining power, latched plates, and a striking train with a count wheel on the inside of the movement. Internal movement components are not visible in the provided exterior photograph. According to the source documentation, the clock was originally fitted with an experimental cross-beat escapement, which was used by a group of London clockmakers seeking to apply long pendulums to clockwork. It was later upgraded to an anchor escapement.
Identification
- Reference
- Clockmakers' Museum No. 1287
- Museum Object Number
- L2015-4198
- 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 wooden case is a 20th-century reproduction rather than the original 17th-century housing.
- Research required: Movement mechanisms, latched plates, and escapement conversion components are internal and not visible in the provided exterior photograph.