William Bond & Son Astronomical Regulator No. 396
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1868
This precision astronomical regulator, numbered 396, was produced in 1868 by William Bond & Son of Boston. The movement incorporates a single-arm gravity escapement invented by Richard F.
Bond, alongside a top-mounted conical pendulum beneath a glass dome providing a constant-force remontoire. The 12-inch silvered brass dial displays an astronomical regulator layout with outer Arabic minutes, an upper seconds subsidiary, and a lower hours subsidiary. Housed in a custom bench-made pedestal case with a front reverse-painted sign reading 'Bond's Standard Time', the clock was historically exhibited in the Bond shop window at 9 Park Street, Boston.
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
- Total Height
- 71 in.
- Pedestal Sign
- Bond's Standard Time
- Dial Signature
- Wm. Bond & Son, Boston, Escapement Invented by R. F. Bond and No. 396
- Maker and Date
- William Bond & Son, Boston, 1868
- Place recorded
- United States
- Maker / attribution
- William Bond & Son
- Escapement and Remontoire
- Single arm gravity escapement and conical pendulum remontoire
Design
- Visible features
- • Tall cylindrical glass dome enclosing a vertical conical pendulum mechanism atop the movement housing • Silvered regulator dial enclosed within a glazed rectangular movement case • Light-colored pedestal case fitted with a prominent dark-framed rectangular panel lettered in gilt: 'BOND'S STANDARD TIME'
- Dial and Mechanism
- The instrument features a 12-inch diameter silvered brass dial signed 'Wm. Bond & Son, Boston', 'Escapement Invented by R. F. Bond', and 'No. 396'. The dial displays outer Arabic minutes, a subsidiary seconds dial divided into two-second increments positioned at the top, and hours indicated on a lower subsidiary dial. The movement is constructed with two trains and six pillars, incorporating a top-mounted conical pendulum under a glass dome to provide a constant-force remontoire. The single-arm gravity escapement impulses a seconds-beating pendulum originally designed for mercury temperature compensation. A break-circuit provision is situated on the upper right corner of the backplate marked 'Break', 'Close', and 'Break and Close', though the auction condition report records that the break-close device itself is no longer present.
- Case and Visual Profile
- The regulator stands 71 inches tall in a bench-made pedestal case constructed for display in the Bond shop window. Visible elements include a tall cylindrical glass dome enclosing the vertical conical pendulum mechanism above the rectangular movement housing, mounted atop a light-colored pedestal. A front-mounted reverse-painted sign on the case reads 'Bond's Standard Time'. The cataloguer notes that an 18-inch removable lower section was used to elevate the clock in the window of the firm's shop at 9 Park Street, Boston, and asserts that No. 396 remains the only example among related Bond regulators to survive with a period case.
- Condition and Alterations
- The cataloguer notes that the movement is powered by a replacement single lead weight rather than the two brass ball weights likely used originally (as seen on Bond No. 395). In addition, while the temperature-compensated seconds-beating pendulum remains present, its mercury filling has been removed. Retained components include the original glass dome covering the conical pendulum, the glass box over the movement and dial, the conical pendulum, hands, and winding key. Although the auctioneer describes the clock as being in 'excellent mechanical condition', this represents a subjective seller appraisal.
Identification
- Serial number
- 396
- 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 auction condition report states that the break-close device formerly mounted on the backplate is missing
- Research required: Mercury has been removed from the seconds-beating pendulum
- Research required: Currently driven by a replacement single lead weight rather than the probable original brass ball weights