Clocks · Longcase clock
8-day parquetry longcase clock by Samuel Aldworth
- Maker / attribution
- Samuel Aldworth (maker)
- Date
- c. 1700
- Historical period
- Early Modern Horology (1600 – 1750)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Longcase clock
- Dimensions
- Height 195 cm
- Stock no.
- Product 3283
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, The Antique Clock Company (product 3283)
- Catalogue title (original)
- AN EXQUISITE 8-DAY PARQUETRY LONGCASE CLOCK – SAMUEL ALDWORTH (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by The Antique Clock Company (dealer), Dorset (stock number Product 3283), this is a longcase clock by Samuel Aldworth, dated c. 1700. The Atlas places it in the Early Modern Horology period (1600 – 1750) of its Clocks collection. Recorded dimensions: Height 195 cm. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — The Antique Clock Company
This exquisite 8-day longcase clock, with a movement striking the hours on a single bell via a count wheel system, is a testament to elegance and timeless craftsmanship. Its carefully constructed 10-inch square dial, adorned with winged cherub spandrels, features a silvered Roman chapter ring, Arabic minute numerals in the Knibb style, and fleur-de-lis markers for half-hours. A date aperture at the dial’s finely matted centre adds sophistication. The movement is crafted with rectangular plates joined by five ringed, knopped latched pillars and anchor escapement, striking each hour on the hour to a single bell. The meticulously hand-crafted parquetry showcases intricate geometric patterns, lending warmth and depth to its classic design. This clock embodies the artistry of its era, serving as a refined statement piece for any collector or home. Samuel Aldworth: Samuel Aldworth was a prominent clockmaker of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, known for his craftsmanship in creating fine longcase and table clocks. Originating from Childrey, Oxfordshire, Aldworth began his career in 1673 as an apprentice to John Knibb, one of Oxford’s leading clockmakers and part of the influential Knibb family, renowned in English horology. After completing his apprenticeship, he continued to work alongside Knibb before establishing his own workshop in Oxford in 1689. Aldworth became a freeman of the city and joined the esteemed Clockmakers’ Company in London in 1697. When Joseph Knibb, another famous clockmaker, retired, Aldworth moved to The Strand in London to take over his business. In 1703, he married Elizabeth Knibb, further solidifying his ties with the Knibb family legacy. Aldworth’s works are distinguished by their elegant design and meticulous detailing, often reflecting high-quality craftsmanship that aligns with the Knibb style, making them prized among collectors today. Height: 76 ¾” or 195 cm
Provenance
Private collection, UK
Historical context
Early Modern Horology (1600 – 1750)
Huygens' pendulum and balance spring transform accuracy; English makers develop the anchor and deadbeat escapements.
Huygens's pendulum (1656–57) improved clock accuracy from about a quarter of an hour to under a minute a day. The anchor escapement (c. 1670) and the long seconds pendulum created the longcase clock; London makers such as Fromanteel, Knibb, Tompion and Quare led European clockmaking, and French makers created the Boulle pendule.
Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Renaissance Horology
Atlas type guide
Longcase (tall-case or grandfather) clocks
The longcase clock was born from two seventeenth-century innovations: Christiaan Huygens's pendulum (1656–57) and the anchor escapement (c. 1670). A long seconds pendulum, nearly a metre long, swings with a small arc, and enclosing it together with the driving weights in a tall wooden case protected the mechanism and created a new piece of furniture. London makers such as Ahasuerus Fromanteel, Thomas Tompion and Joseph Knibb set the pattern.
By the eighteenth century longcase clocks were made throughout Britain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia (the Swedish Mora clock), France (the Comtoise from the Franche-Comté), Germany and colonial America. Eight-day movements with two weights became standard in better clocks; thirty-hour clocks with one weight and a rope or chain were cheaper alternatives.
What to look for
- Winding holes in the dial: two (eight-day, going and striking) or none (thirty-hour, pulled up by a chain).
- Brass dials with applied chapter rings (earlier) versus painted iron 'white' dials (after c. 1770 in Britain).
- Moon-phase arches, date apertures, seconds dials and maker's name on the dial.
- Case woods and style: ebonised, walnut marquetry, lacquer, oak or mahogany; regional styles from London, Lancashire, Scotland or America.
- Whether the movement and dial match the case — 'marriages' are common.
Dating clues
- Square brass dials suggest c. 1670–1720; arched brass dials c. 1715–1790.
- Painted (white) dials were made by Birmingham dial-makers from about 1772.
- Comtoise clocks with repoussé pendulums are mostly nineteenth century.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Deadbeat escapementAnchor escapement
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