Small Regulator Longcase Clock by Frederick Rowe
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1870
This regulator longcase clock, attributed to Frederick Rowe of Great Marlow and dated circa 1870, is a weight-driven floor-standing timekeeper. The clock features a 12-inch silvered dial in a regulator configuration, with minute graduations on the outer edge, a subsidiary seconds dial positioned above a central subsidiary hour dial, and engraved text identifying the maker.
The timekeeping mechanism is a weight-driven movement equipped with substantial plates, high-pinion-count wheels, Harrison's maintaining power, and a deadbeat escapement. The clock includes a temperature-compensated mercurial pendulum with a decorative surround on the mercury jar. The housing is constructed from mahogany, featuring a long glazed trunk door and a solid base. The clock stands approximately 186 cm high and is reported by the auction description to have been sourced from a private collection in the United Kingdom.
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
- Regulator longcase clock
- Height
- 186cm
- Dial size
- 12 inches
- Escapement
- dead beat
- Provenance
- Private collection U.K.
- Case material
- mahogany
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maintaining power
- Harrisons maintaining power
- Maker / attribution
- Frederick Rowe
Design
- Dial and Hands
- The clock features a 12-inch silvered dial designed in the standard regulator format. The dial displays the minutes around the outer perimeter and includes a subsidiary seconds dial located above a central subsidiary hour dial. The dial is engraved with the maker's signature "Fk Rowe – Gt Marlow." in the center, and the time is indicated by original, finely cut blued steel hands. The dial assembly is housed within the arched hood of the mahogany longcase.
- Visible features
- • Silvered dial with engraved 'Fk Rowe – Gt Marlow.' • Glazed longcase trunk door • Mercurial pendulum with engraved jar surround • Finely cut blued steel hands
- Case and Condition
- The clock is housed in a mahogany case that includes a long glazed trunk door, allowing visibility of the pendulum, and a mahogany base. Standing at 186 cm, the case is described as a small longcase format. The auction house states that the provided photographs were taken prior to the restoration process. The clock is reported to have been held in a private collection within the United Kingdom prior to being offered for sale.
- Movement and Pendulum
- The weight-driven movement is constructed with substantial plates and features high-pinion-count wheels. For sustained performance during winding, the movement incorporates Harrison's maintaining power. The timekeeping is regulated by a deadbeat escapement and a temperature-compensated mercurial pendulum, which features a decorative engraved surround on the mercury jar. These components, combined with the regulator-style dial, define the clock's function as a precision instrument. The movement is designed for accuracy, utilizing the mercurial pendulum to mitigate the effects of temperature changes on the pendulum's length.
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 exact extent of restoration is not specified, though the source notes the images were taken 'prior to restoration'
- Research required: The precise mechanism of the mercury jar surround decoration is not detailed