What does fusee mean on a clock listing?

A fusee is a spring-driven movement fitted with a cone-shaped pulley and a gut line or chain. It evens out the pull of the mainspring so the clock keeps better time as the spring runs down. It's the single most common word in this category, and it appears in a slightly larger share of current stock than of the archive overall. Chain fusee is called out separately in a number of titles.

Which type turns up most often?

The English fusee wall clock, with a circular painted dial in a mahogany or oak case. Wall appears in 203 titles and dial in 183, and together they make up roughly a third of the category. Many are drop dials, with a case below the bezel for the pendulum. Longcase clocks are about one in six, and bracket, table, library and mantel clocks about one in five.

How old are English clocks on Sellingantiques?

The dated field runs from 1700 to 1960, and the sampled titles stretch further at both ends. A lantern clock of around 1615 sits at the very top; mid-century factory, ships' and army-issue wall clocks sit at the bottom. Much of the dating is banded rather than exact. Georgian, Regency, Victorian and '19th Century' cover 270 listings and are period labels, not years.

Are the signatures on dials famous makers?

Mostly not. Only three maker names clear three dealers across the whole archive. The hundreds of other signatures belong to single-dealer provincial makers and retailers. The wall-clock population reads like a directory of English towns: Kingsbridge, Taunton, Swindon, Minehead, Clevedon, Evesham, Kirkby Lonsdale and dozens more, a signature apiece.

Why are pocket watches in this category?

Thirty-seven titles are English pocket watches, listed under the clock heading. English Lever, half hunter and full hunter all appear, often in silver cases. They sit almost entirely at the bottom of the range. A pocket watch stand and a watch chain with fob turn up alongside them.

Do railway and factory clocks appear?

Yes, as a small but distinct seam. GWR, LMS, NER, British Railways, the General Post Office, London County Council, the London Passenger Transport Board, RAF and British Army issue all appear on dials. These belong with the 20th-century group, roughly a sixth of the category, which also takes in Art Deco chrome, bakelite, mirror glass and onyx cases. They sit at the bottom and lower middle of the range.

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Antique English Clocks

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English domestic and public clocks, from brass lantern clocks of the 1600s to Art Deco mantel pieces and factory dials, made to keep time in a house, a tavern, an office or a railway station.