Antique Clock Face

Clocks & Watches — By admin on June 8, 2010 at 6:38 am

DIALS
A chapter ring
B subsidiary dial
C calendar aperture
D applied corner spandrels
E winding holes
F hour hand
G minute hand
H dial arch
I engraved boss
J “matted” center

The dial is the face of the clock and is attached to the movement by a number of brass “feet”. A dial has an important bearing on price. Clocks with replaced dials are much less desirable. There are four main types of dial:

Brass dials: this is the earliest type of dial, used on lanterns, brackets and longcases. Each one has the hours engraved on a separate chapter ring.

Painted wooden dials: found on British dial clocks, tavern clocks and Continental clocks. If authentic, the wood should show some signs of cracking caused by changes in temperature.

Painted metal dials: found on most clocks after 1800.These became increasingly elaborate in the 19th century.

Enamelled metal dials: common on carriage clocks and other types o f French clock. They are made
out of enamel which hase been fired on top of a thin copper sheet.

H A N D S
Antique clocks in in their early days only have one hand (for hours), but from c.1660 most have a minute and an
hour hand. Second hands are usually shown on a subsidiary dial. Hands are usually
made from blued steel, although gilded brass is found from c.1790. Until c.1740 the hour
hand was elaborate; the minute hand was longer and simpler. Replacement hands are acceptable if they are in the right style.

S I G N A T U R ES
Most clocks are signed, although a signature is not always a guarantee that the clock was
made by the maker whose signature it bears; 19th century clocks may be signed by the retailer rather than the maker.

Genuine signatures are usually found in the following places:
• until 1690: along the bottom of the dial plate.
• from 1690-1720: on the chapter ring.
• after 1720: on the chapter ring; or on the boss in the arch or on a separately applied plaque.

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