Work in progress...
At any one time, I have four or five clocks in various stages of restoration. Cases, movements, dials, frontons, hands, pendulums cords and weights are all attended to faithfully and sympathetically. Whilst I'm a big fan of Antique French clocks, my main preocupation is with the Comtoise long case. But towards the end of the 19thC, the guys in Morbier started to put huge springs in their famous iron frames, instead of the barrel and cord power source, and fix the resulting - and slightly smaller - movements in wooden cases for hanging on the wall. These 'Pendules a Tableau' or picture frame clocks have become known to most people today as 'Vineyard Clocks', and I usually have one or two of these very pretty clocks on the go as well.
Because of similarities in the manufacture of the movements - and because, like the Comtoise clock, they were born of local farming folk looking to augment their income, the Swedish Mora clock is a recent addition to my inventory. Hard to find, and pricey when they do turn up, they are just as attractive, engaging and interesting as their French counterpart - just in different ways.
Also on my travels, I pick up the occasional wooden-framed Black Forest clock - 8-day, 30-hour, alarm, round dial, 'Schild' dial - all usually on their last legs / feet and needing lots of work, but worth the effort when finished up correctly.
The latest (2014) extension to my inventory is the fascinating Danish Bornholm long case clock - originating from a small island in the middle of the Baltic Sea and starting life as a result of a shipwreck in 1744. (See 'CLOCKS FOR SALE AND LATEST NEWS' on the next page).
Click the arrow in the top left of the first picture to go through past and present projects.
Because of similarities in the manufacture of the movements - and because, like the Comtoise clock, they were born of local farming folk looking to augment their income, the Swedish Mora clock is a recent addition to my inventory. Hard to find, and pricey when they do turn up, they are just as attractive, engaging and interesting as their French counterpart - just in different ways.
Also on my travels, I pick up the occasional wooden-framed Black Forest clock - 8-day, 30-hour, alarm, round dial, 'Schild' dial - all usually on their last legs / feet and needing lots of work, but worth the effort when finished up correctly.
The latest (2014) extension to my inventory is the fascinating Danish Bornholm long case clock - originating from a small island in the middle of the Baltic Sea and starting life as a result of a shipwreck in 1744. (See 'CLOCKS FOR SALE AND LATEST NEWS' on the next page).
Click the arrow in the top left of the first picture to go through past and present projects.