E. Howard & Company Thirty-day No. 25 Astronomical Regulator

Description:

E. Howard & Company Thirty-day No. 25 Astronomical Regulator, Boston, c. 1875, the mahogany "drum head" case with hinged and glazed dial door over the 14 1/2-in. silvered brass dial engraved E. Howard & Co./Makers/Boston, outer perimeter minutes in Arabic numerals, Roman numeral hour dial above and Arabic second's dial below, thirty-day, damascened brass, two-train movement with brass dust covers top and sides, great wheel drums proud of rear plate, pendulum suspension frame with attachment to delicate jeweled escape wheel and pallet pivots, and the dead-beat pallets on the front plate, Geneva stops and threaded posts for dial attachment all regulated by a four jar mercury temperature-compensating pendulum in a damascened brass frame with calibrated regulation nut and blued steel index pointer, and powered by two cast iron weights with integral pulleys, all on a plinth with recessed panel and two stage base molding, ht. 80 in.


Provenence: This clock was used throughout much of its history in the office of the President of New York Central Railroad, New York City, and later, due to a merger, the office of the President and CEO of Penn Central Railroad.

Note: An 1874 E. Howard catalog describes these timekeepers as "Astronomical Clocks for Observatories, Regulators for Watchmaker's use and for Railroad Depots"; further it states that "it has four holes and the pallets jeweled, and a mercurial pendulum thoroughly adjusted to heat and cold, which enables us to detect the variation of one-hundredth of a second per day."
Estimate $60,000-80,000

Case refinished, lacking original weight baffle and silvered beat scale, Geneva stop now gone, two thumscrews per brass dust cover remain, two per panel are now gone, lacking proper keys, but keys provided can open the case and wind the clock, dial resilvered.


The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

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