Miniature English William Congreve Rolling Ball Clock

A Fine English Tripod Table Regulator Clock by Thomas Cole, With Integral Thermometer and Barometer, Retailed by Hunt & Roskell, London Signed to the dial for the retailer ‘Hunt & Roskell, London.’ No. 1318 /38 The circular six-inch silvered dial with cast bezel, signed ‘Hunt & Roskell, London’, above Roman chapters and blued steel spade hands, set with a large subsidiary seconds dial below XII, the centre finely engraved with scrolling strapwork decoration. The steel winding square protruding through an engraved and shaped plate immediately below 6 o'clock with handset achieved by adjustment to the rear. The movement with tapered plates joined by cylindrical screwed pillars, a two-part backplate, a going barrel, and deadbeat escapement. The pendulum suspended from the apex of the tripod from a G-bracket, with plumb line above, fine regulation achieved by a sliding cylindrical weight on the rod, terminating in a heavy silvered spherical bob secured via Cole's pendulum-locking system. The case formed of three cylindrical rods set on a gilt and stepped circular base engraved with scrolling foliage, the recessed centre with a semi-circular glazed barometer with silvered register scale, blued steel hand and manually adjustable gilt recording hand. The tilted thermometer within an engraved and gilded surround. Below the tip of the pendulum is a beat scale resting on a bimetallic bar providing thermal compensation, the base resting on three adjustable gilt-metal levelling nuts. Retaining its original glass dome and brass winding key. England, Circa 1855. This fine and rare timepiece by Thomas Cole is a masterpiece of design. Described by Hawkins in 'Thomas Cole & Victorian Clockmaking' as “the first English table regulator for a gentleman’s library table,” Cole’s strut clock underwent over eight iterations before achieving a design that combined precision with extraordinary elegance. The use of a tripod to determine the optimal pendulum suspension point is just one of several ingenious mechanisms Cole employed. Three adjustable nuts serving as feet allow for effective levelling of the clock, while a plumb line and bob ensure precise vertical alignment. Relocating the winding square directly beneath the dial eliminates the risk of scratching the surface or damaging the hands, while the inclusion of a thermometer, angled at 45 degrees, effectively conceals the beat scale and pendulum locking mechanism. Ingeniously designed, the locking mechanism positioned just below the pendulum’s tip includes a beat scale resting on a brass bar that can be raised to secure the pendulum in place. This mechanism also provides thermal compensation through a bi-metallic strip, which automatically raises or lowers the bob in response to temperature fluctuations. Both inventive and aesthetically striking, this rare clock exemplifies the highly ornamental Victorian timepieces...

A chic, c. 1825 French, looping desk clock with a central timepiece framed in foliate embellished, bronze doré wreath. The clock set into a pale blue, Opalin...

A Rare Late 17th Century English Eight-Day Spring-Driven Table Clock, Circa 1700. England Signed J. Gerrard. This exceptional late 17th-century English eight-day table clock is a s...

Elegant quality antique Victorian miniature brass carriage clock, having a quality antique Victorian miniature brass carriage clock with the original leather travelling case, a quali...

An Exceptional Early English Fusee Carriage Clock Attributed to Thomas & James Ferguson Cole London, circa 1833–1838 An exceptional early English fusee carriage clock, attributable to Thomas Cole and his brother James Ferguson Cole, two of the most important and innovative English clockmakers of the nineteenth century. Although unsigned by the brothers themselves, this clock can be confidently attributed on stylistic, technical, and constructional grounds, as documented by John Hawkins in The Hawkins Pictorial Survey of Cole Clocks, Part I. This example represents a Phase I, Type I Cole carriage clock, placing it among the very earliest surviving carriage clocks produced by the Cole brothers. The design and engraving are characteristic of Thomas Cole, while the movement is the work of his elder brother James Ferguson Cole, whose bespoke mechanisms are widely regarded as technically superior and highly individual. The clock is fitted with an eight-day single-chain fusee movement with English lever escapement, the backplate numbered 2020. Hawkins illustrates an almost identical backplate on p. 400. Of particular importance is the distinctive reinforcing bridge to the mainspring, a hallmark of early James Ferguson Cole movements. This bridging system was designed to provide additional strength and depth to the mainspring in these miniature fusee clocks...

Elegant quality antique Victorian miniature carriage clock, having a beautiful quality antique Victorian ornate miniature carriage clock with intricate scrollwork detail throughout,...

Shaped case in gilded bronze topped with a musician putto and a tiger, white enamel dial with Roman numerals and black hour markers, long pendulum extending from the top and key-woun...

A charming antique Victorian miniature brass carriage clock with alarm, housed in a traditional gilt brass case with bevelled glass panels and a folding carry handle. The clock is o...

A spectacular feat of engineering and artistry, this 19th-century skeleton clock was created by John Smith & Sons of Clerkenwell. The Clerkenwell Borough of Central London has fo...

An Unusual 'Inkwell' Table Clock Attributed to Thomas Cole Constructed from gilt brass, the novelty timepiece rising from a turned ebonised base inset with a concave brass tray e...