Rare Thomas Russel & Sons Liverpool Brass Carriage Clock Key 19th 20th C ACG

Lovely brass lacquered carriage clock retailed by the well known Liverpool watch Company Thomas Russell and Sons, manufacturer, by royal appointment, to Queen Victoria. I have included a bit more about the history of the company below. From the history of the company and style of clock I think it dates from late 1800s to early 1900s.

The clock is in good working order and is keeping good time.

Whilst Thomas Russell Pocket Watches frequently come on to the market, from what I can see, their carriage clocks do not.

The dimensions are approx:

11.5cm tall (16.5cm incl. handle)

8cm long

16cm wise

The clock face is white enamel with black Roman numerals and ‘Thos Russell & Sons, Liverpool’ marked below the dial. The hands of the clock are black. There is no damage to the clock face, when looking very closely it is possible that the minute hand is a little crooked.

The case looks to be solid brass with a protective lacquer coating (which lightens the load on cleaning - no brasso required!). There is a little loss of lacquer from the top and here the paper brass (just cleaned) is seen in the photos.

There is glass on all sides with bevelled edges and no damage to this.

The back has a brass edged glass door with brass handle that can be opened to get into the back of the movement to reset the time or wind it up. The back of the movement is brass and a lever is also accessible there to adjust speed if running a little fast or slow. There is a two sided brass key for changing the time/ winding it up and this is shown in one of the photos next to the case. There is a whole in the key so it can be hung in the back of the movement safely when not being used. Back is marked ACG, presumably the makers of the movement.

Aside from the little bit of lacquer missing the case is in excellent condition. There are only very small little dints to some edges which are only noticed on close inspection.

The interior and movement of the clock are in relatively clean order but would benefit from a clean when the clock is next serviced.

Please have a look at the photos carefully and let me know if you have any queries - I will do my best to respond quickly.

If purchasing from outside the UK please note purchasers are responsible for any import duties.

History of Thomas Russell and Sons:

Thomas Russell is first listed as a watch manufacturer in 1848 and he had premises at 20 Slater Street, Liverpool. At a later date, he moved to 30 Slater Street where the ‘Russell Time O’Day watches’ were manufactured. About 1859, Thomas appears to have handed over the control of the company to Thomas Robert Russell and Alfred Holgate Russell, and the firm changed it’s name to Thomas Russell and Son. By 1877 the company moved premises to Church Street, Liverpool. The partnership between Thomas Robert and Alfred ended in 1870. Thomas Russell & Son, after Queen Victoria’s death, signed their watches ‘Makers to Queen Victoria’ even though officially the warrant had ceased with the Queens death. This was tolerated for a time before it was removed from their watches.. Thomas Robert continued as the proprietor of the Russell Watch and Chronometer Manufactory at Cathedral Works, 18 Church Street, Liverpool with addresses in Piccadilly, London and Toronto, Canada. This became Russell’s Limited in 1894. From this date it seems that they continued as retail jewellers with branches in Liverpool and, by the early 1900’s, Manchester and Llandudno. Alfred Russell continued the company of Thomas Russell and Son (Alfred Russell & Co). This company was listed in 1880 as ‘watch and chronometer manufacturers and machine made keyless lever and jewellery merchants by appointment to Her majesty the Queen and HRM the Duke of Edinburgh and the Admiralty’. In 1881, they became importers of Swiss watches, music boxes etc. Eventually, the firm was converted to a limited company and by 1938 had become Thomas Russell & Son Watch Co Ltd.