(original catalogue drawings)

There were three iterations of this fine regulator model that appeared in the 1879, 1881, and 1886 catalogues as you can see in the drawings above. This clock is of the 1881 variety. The significant difference between version 1 and 2 was the pendulum going from a metal cylinder to a plain mercury jar. Version 3 saw the introduction of the "dimpled" mercury jar and the fancier pulley; version 2 has has the traditional "clamshell" pulley as seen in higher-end Seth Thomas clocks of the era, like Regulator 3 on the lower end and Regulator 19 on the higher end. There were also apparently differences in the movement mounts over the years that are discussed in detail in the the Ly book cited below (for which The Clock Guy wrote the introduction).

This particular clock began its life in a jewelry store.

Physical: The mahogany and burled walnut case, which measures 20"w x 72"h x 10"d is in excellent physical condition as you can see in the photos. It has the original finish and has been rubbed and polished. The beautiful 14" silvered dial has the original silvering - it has not been re-silvered or waxed as is commonly seen - this one is original.

The cabinet door key is present (appears original, but hard to say). The door glasses are original, wavy/dimpled period glass. You can see some refraction of light on the wall through the glass that shows the waves and dimples in the photo of the front open.

The knurled nickel weight, clamshell pulley and mercury jar pendulum are original to the clock and in excellent physical condition.

Mechanical: The high-grade deadbeat movement was professionally overhauled in 2011 and is in excellent running order. It features nickeled plates, a fine beat adjustment, and jeweled pallets. This file photo (click) shows the jeweled pallets in another Regulator 10 - we don't have similar photos for this clock.

Comments: Though they are quite rare, another of this model sold at auction in October 2011. The net cost to the buyer was $79,350. Though we knew the gentleman from whose collection that clock came (actually, we sold him some of the clocks that were sold by his family in the auction) we believe the clock in this listing is in better condition than the auctioned clock. The glass in that clock was represented in the printed catalogue as "wavy with imperfections". However, our very knowledgeable contact tells us that the glass in the auction clock had been replaced and was not period glass. The overall finish on this clock is in better (original) condition than that clock by a good margin, again, according to our knowledgeable source who is familiar with both clocks. The dial on this clock is in better shape, too.

We don't like to sell by tearing down anyone or anything. However, it is important, particularly with high-end items, to understand the subtle differences between seemingly similar clocks. This clock is in outstanding condition and we believe will continue to increase steadily in value. Beats riding an uncertain stock market, doesn't it?

Questions? Contact us by phone at 760-604-0262, or e-mail.

REGARDING PHOTOS: Flash attachments tend to considerably lighten the appearance of wood the closer the camera is to the clock. The photos in the left-hand column are an excellent representation of the actual color of this fine clock. Because of its value we have way more photos than normal and look forward to talking with you after you have had the opportunity to review them in detail.

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front View - 1 Front View - 2 Front Open Crown - Detail Left Crown - Detail Right Crown Top Crown - Lower Head - 1 Head - 2 Head - 3 Upper Upper Left Lower Trunk Base - 1 Base - 2 Crown Detail Left - 1 Detail Left - 2 Detail Left - 3 Detail Right - 1 Detail Right - 2 Detail Right - 3 Dial - 1 Dial - 2 Dial - 3 Dial - 4 Dial Back Movement - 1 Movement - 2 Movement - 3 Pendulum Jar Weight Weight Bottom Weight/Pendulum - 1 Weight/Pendulum -2 Weight/Pendulum - 3 Weight/Pendulum - 4		click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click

The upper finials are correct and original. One of the lower side finials is a copy of the other original one and the center finial is a matching copy scaled correctly to the clock. If you look at the uppers they are a different design yet very similar to the catalogue cut, but this is also common among large wall-hanging regulators.

The glass is all original, including the German mirror behind the pendulum. The original wood panel behind the mirror was decayed and replaced for stability (though one cannot see that without taking the clock off the wall). The replacement panel is a duplicate of the original.

Note the exceptional 20-facet original jar in the signed mercurial pendulum. The reflection of the pendulum against the exceptional mirror is captivating.

The original 14" re-silvered dial is in excellent condition and features a subsidiary seconds dial. The hands are original.

Mechanical: The precision signed deadbeat movement is original to the clock, was professionally serviced in 2011, and is in excellent running order.

Comments: Here is an opportunity to own one of the highest-quality American wall regulators of the late 19th Century. Give us a call to make arrangements.

Questions? Contact us by phone at 760-604-0262, or e-mail.

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front Left Front Right Head Base Dial Pendulum Beat Pulley		click click click click click click click click

The actual clock movements used by the Self-Winding Clock Company were made by other companies such as E. Howard , Seth Thomas and H.C. Thompson. They then fitted their winding devices and mounted them in cases of various designs, often made in case styles similar to those of companies like Howard and Seth Thomas.

The Self-Winding Clock Company was formed in 1886 by Charles Pratt with Henry Chester Pond. Their design was based on automatically winding the clock each hour with a motor powered by two 1-1/2 volt dry cells located in the case. The advantage of his high-quality, pendulum-controlled movement, combined with the constant driving force of the small, frequently wound mainspring, was that it yielded a highly accurate clock subject to minimal wear.

An optional attachment allowed the clocks to be synchronized by hourly U.S. Naval Observatory time signals sent over Western Union telegraph lines. The railroads needed to coordinate among their stations (and among each other lest two trains sharing a stretch of track shared it too closely). In 1883, the Naval Observatory agreed to telegraph standard railway time, a great boon for Western Union, which happened to own the Self-Winding Clock Company.

These clocks were common in government offices, schools, and other institutions and could be seen in all Western Union telegraph offices.

From the late 1800's until well into the mid 1900's, self-winding clocks earned a most important role in horological history. They provided robust and reliable time synchronization across the country. They serviced railroads and other transportation industries, factories, schools, retail stores, and other businesses. Many of them were decommissioned by 1960 and are slowly finding their way into the caring hands of horological collectors, a growing number of whom are focused on collecting the wide variety of interesting clocks from SWCC. Very large ones like this clock are scarce.

Power for many self-winding clocks originated with Georges Leclanche's 1866 invention of the carbon-manganese-dioxide and zinc battery. They generally used a pair of these 1.5 volt cells to provide the necessary 3 volts for the clocks. By the early 1900s, a pair of 1.5 volt No. 6 Dry Cells became the premier power source for these clocks. (source: DK Mace)

Physical: The large case measures 44" square and has a 36" dial. Both are in excellent condition.

Mechanical: The self-winding pendulum movement is in excellent running order.

Comments: The photos below are quite small. When we saw the clock, it was on the floor in a corner behind many other items, so the photos below are ones that the consignor had on hand. They are small, but we believe you will be able to see it adequately from these photos. It's a great clock - if you've got the space.

We had a larger file photo of the same movement from another clock and have included it so you can see it in more detail.

Questions? Contact us by phone at 760-604-0262, or e-mail.

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front View Front Right Case Detail Movement Movement (diff clock)		click click click click click

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front View Front Right Upper Base Dial/Weight - 1 Dial/Weight - 2 Weight Pendulum Bob Movement - Bottom		click click click click click click click click click

		This popular model from the esteemed E.N. Welch Manufacturing Company is not one we see very often. In fact, this is only the second one we've ever had available to us for our clients. This model features two weights that come down the sides of the case, and a beautiful Welch beat plate behind the pendulum. Physical: The rosewood case featuring the original finish measures 19"w x 51"high x 5"d. As you can see in the photos, it is in excellent physical condition. The finials are all original, it has a good original label. The original weights have the three dots one expects to see punched on the bottom. The dial shows some age-appropriate wear to the numerals. Hard to say, but it could be original as well. There is an old repair on the (refinished) pendulum stick way up high where it is unseen from from the front. At some point in time the cord on one of the weights broke. There is a small support block inside on the bottom right side. The glass is wavy and the gilding on the side panels is strong. Mechanical: The eight-day time-only movement was recently professionally overhauled and is in excellent running order. There were two different versions of this particular movement. This clock has the earlier version that was used from 1873 to 1879 per Tran Duy Ly's book cited below. Watch for a new version of the long out-of-print book at ArlingtonBooks.com.

Comments: Here is your opportunity to own one of the most desirable of the Welch clocks. Seize the moment!

Questions? Contact us by phone at 760-604-0262, or e-mail.

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front View - 1 Front View - 2 Front - Dial Off Upper View Crown Lower View Base/Beat Plate Dial Pendulum/Weights Label Movement		click click click click click click click click click click click

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front View Lower Upper - 1 Upper - 2 Upper Right - 1 Upper Right - 2 Lower Right Base Pendulum Pendulum Bob Dial Movement		click click click click click click click click click click click click

 

Ship From So. CA

PHOTO LINKS:
Description		View
Front Left - 1 Front Left - 2 Upper Lower Base - 1 Base - 2 Dial Pendulum-1 Pendulum-2 Pendulum-3 Weight		click click click click click click click click click click click