Clocks · Regulator
Domestic regulator by the Eminent Thomas Reid, Edinburgh, c. 1795
- Maker / attribution
- the Eminent Thomas Reid (maker)
- Date
- c. 1795
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- Scotland
- Place
- Edinburgh
- Object type
- Regulator
- Materials / technique
- mahogany
- Dimensions
- Height 7 ft 2 in (218 cm)
- Stock no.
- Product 407
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, P A Oxley (product 407)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Domestic Regulator by the Eminent Thomas Reid of Edinburgh (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by P A Oxley (dealer), Wiltshire (stock number Product 407), this is a regulator by the Eminent Thomas Reid, made in Edinburgh, Scotland, dated c. 1795. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Clocks collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: mahogany. Recorded dimensions: Height 7 ft 2 in (218 cm). The record is illustrated with 6 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 — P A Oxley
A rare late 18th century Domestic Regulator by this famous maker. The 8 day duration high quality movement striking the hours on a bell and with Deadbeat Escapement and Harrison Maintaining Power. The round silvered brass dial showing seconds, date, Roman numerals, matching blued steel hands, and the makers name and place of work engraved across the centre of the dial. The silvered dial framed within a brass bezel. The movement complete with its original brass cased weights and substantial wood rod pendulum with large brass bob. The plain but very elegant mahogany cabinet work with the rare use of Pommele mahogany to the trunk door and throughout the rest of the case. The plain base features original bracket feet and a small raised moulding to the main panel. The broken arch pediment with a central finial stand terminating with a gilt ball finial. An extremely elegant example of a late 18th century Scottish Longcase Clock. Note: Thomas Reid is listed as an eminent maker and was apprenticed to James Cowan on 9th October 1762. For 11 years he lived in London where he appears to have worked for and observed the work of several Master Clockmakers. In 1788 he designed and built the first clock for the spire of St Andrews Parish Church, George Street, Edinburgh. In 1806 he welcomed William Auld into partnership which was the beginning of a long and prosperous business. They specialised in unusual Regulators including Astronomical and long duration. Maker Thomas Reid of Edinburgh
Historical context
Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.
The age of the deadbeat escapement, compensated pendulums and observatory regulators. Domestic clocks spread through the middle classes: English longcase and bracket clocks, French gilt-bronze mantel clocks, Viennese Biedermeier wall clocks, Black Forest painted-shield clocks, and the first American shelf clocks.
Read the period in the timelineMore clocks from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology
Atlas type guide
Regulators, wall and Vienna clocks
A regulator is a precision pendulum clock used as a time standard in observatories, workshops and railway offices. Typical features are a deadbeat or Graham escapement, a temperature-compensated pendulum (mercury jar, gridiron or later invar), maintaining power and a regulator dial that separates hours, minutes and seconds. George Graham's deadbeat escapement (c. 1715) and his mercury pendulum, together with Harrison's gridiron, set the pattern for two centuries.
Wall clocks span a much wider range: the elegant Viennese Laterndluhr and Dachluhr of the Biedermeier period, the Dutch stoelklok and staartklok, English 'dial' clocks used in schools, offices and railway stations, and mass-produced spring and weight wall clocks from Germany (Gustav Becker, Junghans, Kienzle) and America.
What to look for
- Deadbeat escapement and compensated pendulum (gridiron rods, mercury jar or wood rod).
- A regulator dial with a large central minute hand and separate hour and seconds dials.
- Vienna regulators: glazed cases, slender pendulum, small weights, enamel two-piece dials.
- German factory trademarks stamped on the backplate (e.g. Gustav Becker anchor and crown, Junghans star).
Dating clues
- Graham-type deadbeat regulators: from c. 1720.
- Viennese Laterndluhr: c. 1800–1850.
- German factory 'Vienna-style' regulators: c. 1870–1930; Gustav Becker serial numbers allow close dating.
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.
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