 This is the home of the most beautiful and elegant antique French crystal regulator clocks on the web today. The design and manufacturing standards achieved by the French clock makers during the second half of the nineteenth century have never been matched for their restrained elegance and quality of execution. They are both a tribute and witness to a vanished period of French design achievement and excellence of manufacture. While earlier times produced more uniquely exquisite clocks of a one-off nature, the clocks displayed here were essentially mass-produced in limited production runs and retailed by dealers spanning the globe. Tiffany, the acknowledged leading American jeweler, was proud to put its name on these gorgeous clocks and rightly so. The catalog which follows shows my collection in fully restored condition. Many of the clocks were purchased in deplorable condition but were eventually brought back to their original beauty by skillful work helped immensely by the high quality of their original materials and the precision manufacture of their components. Restoration always requires complete disassembly of the case and movement, complete polish, and yellow tinted lacquer coating of the metal case parts. Rebuilding the movements is not super difficult due to the original quality of manufacture. Occasional creation of case and movement parts is necessary due to damage accumulated or inflicted over the years but this can be accomplished on precision lathes and milling machines using modern brass and steel alloys. Fasteners are readily available. Fortunately, a gentleman in Florida can duplicate the glass panels if any are broken or damaged. All of the clocks on this site are fully operational and in working condition. Enjoy your visit.
My interest in French crystal regulator clocks began during a journey to the South of France in the late summer of 2002. Wandering into the numerous antique shops encountered on this trip, my eye spied a type of clock that I had never seen before. The shop owners explained that these clocks were known as “crystal regulators”. They had been very popular during the second half of the 19th century and generally are characterized by square, rectangular, oval or round cases composed of brass or bronze structural elements combined with beveled glass panels on all sides. They always have a front and rear door and typically use a pendulum comprised of two sealed glass tubes partially filled with elemental mercury which was thought at the time to be temperature-compensating thus leading to their timekeeping accuracy. The inherent beauty and the striking elegance expressed in their design and execution were a welcome antidote to the many overly-ornate clocks from earlier periods in French history which have always seemed too over-the-top to my simple Midwestern eye. As you peruse the catalog, I think you also will appreciate their beauty and elegance. During the French sojourn, I encountered one crystal regulator with cut crystal columns along with a base and top of the same material in a high-end shop across from the Louvre museum. When the shopkeeper told me its price was $10,000, I thought that I would never be able to start a collection of these clocks. Returning to the good old U.S.A., I decided to use the powers of the Internet to research these clocks and was surprised to find an online auction in New Hampshire with a few examples of these clocks among the listing. A successful bid resulted in my first acquisition that Fall (shown above right) and the beginning of a love affair that has yet to end. In reviewing my documentation for this compilation, I have been struck by the steady increase in prices since my first purchase. The availability of interesting and unique clocks has also greatly decreased with the passage of years and the Chinese have flooded the market with pathetic imitations of the French originals. My hobby has led to the creation of a fully equipped shop dedicated to the restoration of acquired clocks. Often previous poorly-done repairs have had to be corrected along with the manufacture of new parts in order to restore these clocks to their original glory. The final results are always beautiful and a salute and homage to the original French craftsmen who designed and built these timepieces. The quality of French clock and case manufacture during the late 19th century is uniformly excellent and presages many later limited production techniques still in use today. The clocks in this compilation are presented in chronological order of their acquisition dates. Aside from my original purchase (shown above) they have all been fully restored. Sentimental reasons (and the overall condition of the clock when acquired) have dissuaded me from restoring "Old Number One". They all keep good time once restored and are a continuing source of beauty and joy. I hope that your viewing of this catalog brings you to an appreciation of the beauty that is expressed by and incorporated in these clocks. If you wish to purchase one of these clocks or if you have one you would like to sell, please write me at: doc@docsclocks.com Click on Catalog and start the tour. The clocks are arranged in chronological order of their acquisition dates. |