Bracket clocks are the spring-driven counterparts to the weight-driven tallcase clocks, like miniaturized versions of the hood and movement, but constructed as fully assembled units. They can be transported whole if kept upright, but the pendulum must be removed if no clip or screw clamp is present to secure it. To do this, wedge the ticking crutchpiece with a piece of folded paper between it and the backplate; otherwise, the hands will revolve rapidly and the strike or chime will be set off while the clock is in transit.

Do not be tempted to pick up the clock by the carrying handle unless you want to be left holding only the handle and the immediate piece of wood it was bolted to, while the remainder has fallen to the ground.

Antique Collection

There are no screwed joints in clock cases, and the glue is now, at 100 to 300 years old, dried out and brittle. So always place your hands underneath it and never carry it by what was originally the carrying handle.

To start up a bracket clock, set it in position, wind it, and set the time, and only then grasp the case on each side and, firmly but gently, raise one side and put it down again, which will set the pendulum swinging.

False finishes

Throughout the period bracket clocks were made (16601900), ebonizing remained just as popular a finish as more colorful show-woods such as walnut or mahogany. Since 1950 some ebonized clocks have been unscrupulously bleached to remove the black staining of their fruitwood veneer, a process which reveals the color of the fruitwood, but which appears contrived and unsatisfactory. If you are buying, such clocks should be avoided. Reebonizing is possible, but unless the clock is by one of the best makers, it will not add to the value of your clock; you will simply have the satisfaction of knowing it is correct. Marquetry bracket clock cases are extremely rare, whereas japanning (or lacquer) is frequently encountered.

Conversion dilemmas

Bracket clocks need to be overhauled more often than tallcase clocks, every five to eight years.

Many bracket clocks were originally fitted with peripheral functions such as calendar works or a quarter repeat. Traditionally, if one of these functions stopped working, it was removed to avoid the expense of repair. The rebuilding of a quarter-repeating train is desirable, but expensive, and only worth doing for valuable clocks.

In the 1800s many older bracket clocks were converted from a verge to the supposedly more efficient anchor escapement. This devalues a clock by some 25 percent, but to convert it back costs about $4,000 (k2,500), which will still leave it worth about 10 percent less than it would be with the original verge, so the clock needs to be worth more than $16,000 (J10,000) for this to make economic sense.

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Bracket Clocks Antique Care