Regulator by Brockbank, London, c. 1790

Dealer description — Howard Walwyn

A fine late George III period regulator the beautiful mahogany veneered case of rare small size, with unusual pagoda top and brass flambeau finials. The 10 inch breakarch silvered dial has a conventional chapter ring with Roman hour numerals and an outer band of Arabic numerals for the minutes. There is a strike/silent dial and pointer in the arch and a subsidiary seconds dial below XII in the dial centre. The hour and minute hands are of blued steel. The exceptional five pillar 8-day hour striking movement has deadbeat escapement, maintaining power, trip repeat and rise and fall regulation. The wheelwork is of fine quality and there is pivoted maintaining power fitted below and acting on the centre wheel. There is also a simple trip repeat lever which acts directly on the lifting piece. Both levers are operated via cords through the seatboard. The deadbeat escapement has steel pallets, with rise and fall platform mounted across the top of the plates activated via a cam on a bracket mounted on the side. The large brass bob pendulum has a wooden rod and an engraved brass rating nut. The well patinated flame mahogany veneered case has a most unusual moulded pagoda top with two flambeau brass finials, a carved wooden sound fret roundel and chamfered brass string corners to the hood. The case is particularly small and elegant given the narrowness of the 10-inch dial and the full length breakarch moulded trunk door. The base has a raised moulded panel and the clock stands on its original double plinth. Height: 84 ½ in (214.5 cm) * The Brockbank s were a very well-known clockmaking partnership of brothers John and Myles Brockbank who were working from 1790 until circa 1830. They were responsible for making many fine precision clocks, longcases and marine chronometers. Regulators in cases of this quality, small proportions and originality are very rare. HW6403