Auction Comp

This clock at Sothebys, London sold for £45,600 ($95,495 USD in today's value 11/07). The Solvang Antique Center is offering an Ellicott Musical Bracket Clock (JROS 652) with a nearly identical movement playing fourteen tunes instead of twelve, in fully restored condition for less than half than half that value at $47,300. Please click on this link to view this remarkable investment opportunity.

Sothebys
Fine Clocks, Watches, Barometers and Mechanical Music
Sale L07880      Lot 77
Session 1 | 25 Apr 07 10:30 AM
London
 

9-1/4-inch enamel dial set on a gilt-brass foliate engraved plate with subsidiary dials for strike/not strike and chime/not chime flanking the signature Ellicott, London below a tune selection arc, similarly signed massive three train fusee and chain movement with ten knopped pillars, later conversion to half dead beat escapement, bell striking and playing one of twelve tunes on a nest of thirteen bells with thirteen hammers (one bell and one hammer lacking) every three hours, a manually set muffle bar mounted below the hammers, the backplate engraved with rococo scrolls an urn and a bird, the case with brass-bound inverted bell top above a frieze fret with pierced brass corner mounts and cone finials, the broken-arch moulded cornice above further frets, boldly cast rococo flower and c-scroll mounts applied to the four angled corners, the sides with carrying handles above fretwork doors, the brass-bound plinth with scroll feet. 32" high.

John Ellicott, one of the most famous 18th century English clockmakers, was born in 1706 and succeeded his clockmaker father who died in 1733. He worked at 17 Sweetings Alley, Royal Exchange, London between 1728 and 1772, the year of his death. In 1738 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as a Councillor for three years. Later he became clockmaker to King George III and made many fine and unusual clocks; he is probably best known for the invention of a compensated pendulum in which the bob is raised or lowered, by means of levers, to counteract the expansion or contraction of the rod.

John Ellicott took his son Edward into partnership in 1760 and the clocks made after this time were signed Ellicott with no forename until circa 1769 when the signature was changed to John Ellicott & Son.