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Wall clock by John Wakeford, East Bourn, c. 1800–1810 — view 1 of 2
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Clocks · Wall clock

Wall clock by John Wakeford, East Bourn, c. 1800–1810

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
John Wakeford (maker)
Date
c. 1800–1810
Historical period
Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Place
East Bourn
Object type
Wall clock
Materials / technique
brass
Dealer
Howard Walwyn Fine Antique Clocks (dealer), London
Stock no.
SKU 368
Credit line
Dealer listing, Howard Walwyn (SKU 368)
Catalogue title (original)
John Wakeford. A good English Brass Dial Wall Clock (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Howard Walwyn Fine Antique Clocks (dealer), London (stock number SKU 368), this is a wall clock by John Wakeford, made in East Bourn, United Kingdom, dated c. 1800–1810. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Clocks collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: brass. The record is illustrated with 2 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 — Howard Walwyn

A good English Brass Dial Wall Clock. The mahogany case has access doors to the base and right hand side and a well moulded dial surround. The latter is pegged on each side to the original dovetail joined oak back box. The 12 inch engraved brass dial has a fine patinated finish, and is signed by the maker , John Wakefield, East Bourn . It has pierced steel hands and the dial is engraved with Roman hour numerals with Arabic minutes in a good quality single circle. The original cast brass concave section bezel holds the flat glass opening door in place. The 8 day fusee timepiece movement has 4 pillars and rectangular brass plates. Date : circa 1800-1810 Overall Diameter : 14 ½ in (37 cm) HW6004

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.

Read next:Deadbeat escapementAnchor (recoil) escapementGrasshopper escapement

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