Large four train wrought iron Austrian turret clock movement c. 1760, $10,000 plus shipping

OWN A RARE, RESTORED, TOWER CLOCK (c.1760-1810, AUSTRIA)

This is a very large, rare and special clock. It would be perfect for any large display area. Home, hotel foyer or museum. 

A rare find in Australia, this large, wrought-iron, tower clock is a magnificent example of European craftsmanship from the Age of Enlightenment. Expertly restored to working order, it’s unusual for having four (rather than three) gear trains, which provide accurate timekeeping, striking and chiming functions.

For the connoisseur collector, the grand scale and mesmerizing movement of this clock would make a breathtaking display in an estate foyer, boutique hotel or museum.

See full description at bottom of this page.

Rear elevation 

Front three-quarter elevation 

Beatifylly executed strike count wheels in the forground 

Rear three quarter elevation 

Mortise and Tenon joint 

Recoil escapement. 

Stamp of a bear found on the main frame and also the 2500mm long pendulum rod.12mm x 8 mm. 

Stamp of a bear found on the main frame and also the 2500mm long pendulum rod.12mm x 8 mm 

Initials stamped in the iron above a symbol of “crossed hammers”. This stamp is a mining mark often used in Austria. It is the sign of the blacksmith. The Letters “JPE” measure 8mm high. 

Small iron dial at the top of the clock which enabled the clock winder to know what time the outside dial was indicating. The small dial has been painted and this paint is rusting very badly to the point it is hard to read the text. There is a name that can not be read at the top and, underneath the words “Renoviert 1923”. This is when the clock underwent a “renovation” in 1923.

ORIGIN:

Commissioned research by the British Horological Institute’s Museum of Time Keeping has dated the clock’s creation to 1760-1810, probably in Austria. At that time, the Industrial Revolution was generating high demand for clocks, and skilled European craftsmen were developing new technologies and techniques to produce high-quality mechanical timepieces for a growing market.

The clock would originally have been set high in a tower (or turret) with a 2.5-metre pendulum swinging beneath. Pre-dating wristwatches, it played an important role in regulating the lives of all within hearing distance by chiming each quarter hour. A failsafe mechanism repeated the bells that marked the hour.

The clock was wound each day with a crank handle. A small dial allowed the clock winder to check what time the large, external clock face was showing.

A bear – probably the blacksmith’s mark – is stamped on the frame and pendulum rod. A second stamp – the letters JPE above two crossed hammers – is a mining mark often used in Austria. The clock shows signs of renovation carried out in 1923 in Europe, but the name of the clockmaker – on the small inside dial – is no longer legible.

The clock was brought to Australia in 1970 by a dealer who specialized in rare antiques from Austrian castles and palaces. The antique dealer lived near the Schloss (castle) Esterhazy, where Joseph Haydn composed many famous works as court musician to Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy. Although the clock’s provenance is yet unverified, it is likely to have originated in this vicinity, near the Austrian-Hungarian border.

RESTORATION

From the 1970s, the clock was stored in a garden shed in the NSW Southern Highlands (two hours from Sydney), until being rediscovered in 2021 by Matthew Munn, owner of The Sydney Clock Company.

Over the past year, Matthew has expertly restored the tower clock to working condition, with all four trains functioning correctly. The entire movement is complete, including the original pendulum rod and small iron dial.

The restoration process comprised:

1.     Assessing the clock’s condition. This involved taking the clock carefully apart and examining each component to determine what needed to be repaired or replaced.

2.     Cleaning with a variety of tools and specialised solvents

3.     Coating the clock in Penatrol to prevent deterioration.

4.     Replacing three missing pieces of the wrought iron frame. A local blacksmith (Stephen Hogwood of The 1910 Ironworks ) was commissioned to create customized replacement parts from 150-year-old wrought iron.

5.     Reassembling the clock with careful alignment and adjustment of each component.

6.     Adding four concrete weights on ropes to drive the clock’s correct function.

Availability: Pick up from Southern Highlands NSW, international shipping available at additional cost

Weight: 250.00 KGS

Length: 164cm

Height: 90cm

Depth: 83cm

Age: C1760