Early ebony timepiece with quarter repeat table clock by John Knibb, Oxford

Dealer description — The Antique Clock Company

Movement : The 8-day single fusee timepiece movement with verge knife edge escapement and brass rod short bob regulated pendulum. There are five latched bulbus pillars to hold the movement together, with a beautifully engraved rectangular back plate signed “John Knibb Oxon Fecit”. The pull repeat feature strikes the hour on the larger bell and quarters struck on the smaller bell. Case : The case is of ebony veneer over an oak carcase with typical Knibb foliate-tied gilded handle, finished with Knibb S-scroll and mask escutcheons to the glazed lockable front door, pierced ebony silk backed sound fret above with rectangular glazed sides, sound frets and lockable glazed back door. Dial : The 6 ½” square gilt brass dial with finely matted centre and signed “John Knibb Oxon Fecit” to the lower edge. Four chased gilt winged cherub spandrels in each corner of the dial plate with a silvered engraved chapter ring and typical Knibb style fleur-de-lys half hour divisions, Roman numerals to mark the hours and Arabic numerals for five minute markers. The clock also boasts its beautiful original blued steel hands. Currently – Private collection, UK Comparative Literature : The Knibb Family Clockmakers by R. A. Lee Height: 13 ½” or 34cm (Handle up) 12” or 30.5cm (Top of case) John Knibb – John Knibb (1650-1722), an excellent clockmaker in his own right, he was the younger brother of Joseph Knibb (1640-1721), to whom he was apprenticed in Oxford in 1664. In 1670, when his elder brother Joseph left for London, John took charge of the Oxford workshops and in 1673, upon payment of a fine, he received the Freedom of the City of Oxford, where he was to remain and prosper, for the rest of his life. It is undeniably true that Joseph and John’s workshops were closely associated. The Oxford workshops had a small output compared to Joseph’s prodigious London workshops. Despite the low output, the Oxford workshops still had ten apprentices between 1673 and 1715; this strongly suggests that the London business was outsourcing a considerable proportion of work to John’s Oxford workshops. Once Joseph had left for London in 1670, John’s limited production of Oxford clocks had a distinct, slightly provincial, style of their own. However, a few of John’s clocks, including this fine example, were of such outstanding quality that one can only come to the conclusion that they were made in London and retailed by John to one of his very wealthy clients. Many collectors aspire to “one-day own a Knibb” and with this being a timepiece, it is a rather inexpensive way of achieving such an honour. It is also an ideal investment that you can really appreciate simultaneously.