Rare Georgian London Year Duration Striking 7-Pillar Longcase Clock ca. 1715

SUMMARY:

A fine and unusual, early English 18th century burr laburnum year duration ( 1 year and 7 days to be precise) and very rare striking longcase clock. 

The clock is complete having been restored over 20 years ago when purchased from a private collection and the movement fully overhauled and comes with a set of 86 lb lead weights and pendulum.  The pictures are brighter in most circumstances than the clock case or movement shows. 

the clock tentatively attributed to the workshop of the Royal Watchmaker and master of the Clock Makers company, the famous non-coformist and Quaker, Daniel Quare.

The clock comes with a two year international mechanical guarantee and comes with full setting up instructions and a small black covered book on this very rare year duration clock.

Literature:

Long duration longcase clocks from the late 17th and early 18th century, and with a running time of over 6 months running perod are very rare, with probaby no more than 15 to 20 examples in the world today.

A year-going clock (that's how they are referred to) was a particularly difficult thing to construct as it had to be very well made indeed, otherwise excess friction in the additional wheelwork meant it would simply not run reliably. Usually year-going clocks were only made by the very best makers and are recognised as a tour de force in movement design. They were invariably made for very particular patrons, more often than not for noble or royal houses (if not for institutions like Greenwich Royal Observatory) and are, by definition, usually of very great historical interest. The majority of these long duration clocks were only time-pieces and a striking example as in the present clock, whilst not unique can no doubt tbe counted on the fingers of one hand in terms of known examples world-wide.

A year duration time-piece clock by Richard Street of London, Melford House, National Trust.  From all their properites throughout the UK, this is their only example 

A year duration time-piece longcase clock by John Holmes of London, in later case, sold by Abersoch, Antiques, Wales, 2018

A year duration astronomical equation time-piece clock by Thomas Tompion of London, in the Royal Collections

A year duration longcase clock by Daniel  Quare  of London, ca. 1703, located in  Science Museum, Clockmakers Gallery, London

A year duration striking longcase clock by Daniel Quare of London, covered in red and gold Boule work, ca. 1700, Bonhams Exhibition September 2018

A year duration longcase  by Daniel  Quare  of London, ca. 1710, with calendar work, barometer built into the long door and stands 10 feet tall, with crest of arms to upper part of dial located in  British Museum, Clockmakers Gallery, 

A year duration longcase clock by Daniel  Delander  of London, ca. 1703, located in  Science Museum, Clockmakers Gallery, London

A year duration longcase clock with equation of time by Daniel  Delander  of London, ca. 1715, Bonhams, London, June 2008.

A pair of year duration clocks by Thomas Tompion supplied to Greenwich in 1676 which were built into the wall of the building. These clocks would have been very well known throughout the London and interational scientific society.  One of these two clocks was  purchased back by Greenwich  in the late 1990's after a 275 year absence.

A year duration equation of time, time-piece clock, the Drayton Tompion, ca. 1700 in the Fitzwilliam museum, Cambridge

Nearly all of these clocks were made in the period, 1700 through to ca. 1720 and no doubt a handful more existing in the world, all come indirectly through Thomas Tompion the great English clock maker of the late 17th and early 18th century or Daniel Quare his contemporary and equally great clockmaker. This was the peak period for long duration clocks, when five wheel train month clocks were made as timepieces, striking and threee train and some 3 and six month duration clocks.

These magnicent clocks would be wound only once a year, the Quare clock, would strike every hour of every day. To put that into context, that’s 156 strikes a day, 58,500 a year, plus 10 days spare from a seven-wheel train and massive weights!

THE DIAL:  the clock dial measures 12 x 13 inches high. The solid brass dial with four brass pillars to the reverse, pinned to the movement front plate.   The dial with finley matted dial centre, and elaborate gilded C&W No 5 type brass spandrels to the corners.  T he silvered chapter ring with outer Arabic minutes set around a minute track, the Roman hours interspersed with point-head fleur-de-lys half hour marks,  

The two winding holes are very low down eas expected for 6 wheel train work. The silvered chapter-ring with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabics for the minute around the outside edge and also silvered seconds ring . The dial with nicely made blued steel hands for the seconds, minute and hour, all are in fine order. 

THE MOVEMENT :   T he very substantial movement plates measuring 12 1/5 in by 6 3/4 of an inch united by seven knopped and finned pillars, all pinnedd to the frontplate, the barrel of 13 turns to a great wheel and a further five wheels, all of four crossings, terminating in a delicate 'scape wheel, polished steel A-framed pallets to a steel crutch and brass-rod pendulum with brass covered bob with rating nut.

The movement most unusually and while not unique very rare indeed, also strking the hours via a high positioned early outside countwheel strike to the back plate with outside detent for the strike.

  THE CASE : 100%, the later burr Laburnum oyster veneered case on an oak carcase, with caddy top, stands 230 cm high, and 243 to top of brass decorative figure. The hood with an opening door (lock and key) is glazed to the front, and also to the sides, with a pagoda top, with gilded brass figure to it. The trunk with a long arched door, cranke hinges , sigificant bowing to door and lock/key to door. The case with nicely featured burr panels, some of which have lifted ever so slightly , but looks stunning and most attractive. The sides of the trunk with features panels of burr Laburnum oysters. The door with  d-mouldings in good order. The clock case baring many marked similarities to the Drayton Tompion clock in case at the Fitwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

The carcase of the case is beautifully toned and aged oak, clearly original, with some restoration as is normal for a clock of this period. The base of the case with feature laburnum oyster panel to the front and to the sides. The base sits on a single footed skirting. The base with simple laburnum mouldings and a fine line inlay around the feature panels.

THE WEIGHTS, PENDULUM AND KEY : 100% mint, the clock comes with a pair of specially cast 86 lb lead weights. The weights each in two parts and then pbolted together. Each has an internal pulley wheel to hook the steel clock lines to. With a brass faced pendulum and T-shaped winding key. 

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