Description
C & LC Ives “Patent Lever Brass Eight Day Clock”, 1830-1837. Chauncey and Lawson’s most coveted clock, the wagon spring triple decker. It is thought that only about six exist; the only triple decker clock that uses a wagon spring power source. Chauncey was the youngest of the six Ives brothers, including Joseph, the inventor of the wagon spring; Lawson was their cousin (son of older brother Philo Ives). In 1835 Chauncey and Lawson were 48 and 31 years old, respectively; Lawson ran the business, Chauncey made the movements, based on older brother Joseph’s experience, and Elias Ingraham provided the cases. John Birge was a silent partner. The 36-inch case has mahogany veneer, a bronze-stenciled splat with wood rosettes on the chimneys, two repainted columns bracketing the middle section with a period mirror, on small ball feet that look original. The dial glass is period with newer putty, the bottom door glass is original with an extensively touched-up original tablet. The wooden dial has a gilded chapter ring and some soiling; there are numerous signatures on the back indicating service and ownership, including a John Delaney, whose name I have seen before. He must have owned a lot of clocks. The hands are period and proper. The strap brass 8-day, time-and-strike movement is unsigned, with large brass wheels. It is running, barely, and striking on a wire gong. The winding arbors are connected to the wagon spring arms with compounded cords running through small brass pulleys and anchored to the seat board; the pulleys are connected to the lift arms by rods. There is a good paper label on the backboard. AAC sold a similar example last summer for $4809. $2500–$5000.
Record courtesy of AntiqueAmericanClocks.com