Georgian Eight Day Longcase
A georgian eight day longcase clock measures time through a week and more between winding, housing complex movements in tall timber cases.
Georgian Eight Day Longcase
A georgian eight day longcase clock stands as a floor-standing timepiece housing a weight-driven movement that requires winding roughly once a week. These tall cases protect the pendulum and weights while serving as prominent furniture in domestic interiors.
Mahogany and oak form the primary timber bodies found here, often paired with brass or painted iron dials signed by provincial and metropolitan makers. Examples range from restrained regional pieces in oak to finely figured mahogany and burr walnut creations from London workshops.
How They Were Made
Cabinetmakers constructed the tall wooden housings using solid planks and veneers of mahogany, oak, walnut, and burr walnut, employing joinery methods that allowed timber to move naturally with seasonal humidity changes. Cases often featured glazed hood doors, fluted columns, and arched crests to frame the dial.
Horologists built the brass and steel gear trains within the movement, mounting them between heavy plates and driving them with lead or cast iron weights suspended by cords or chains. Dials utilised cast brass with engraved chapter rings or later painted iron surfaces displaying seconds, calendar dates, and moon phases.
Georgian Eight Day Longcase Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for georgian eight day longcase among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Duck egg blue paint transforms one small oak case, proving eighteenth-century furniture was not strictly brown.
What Varies in Quality
The sophistication of the movement dictates much of the standing, with standard time-and-strike mechanisms sitting below complex quarter-striking systems and strike-silent arrangements. London makers frequently incorporated finer finishing on gear teeth and plate engraving compared to provincial counterparts.
Timber selection and cabinet proportion establish visual distinction, where well-figured flame mahogany or burr walnut veneers outclass plain secondary woods. Original dial signatures and untouched movement components hold greater weight than marriage clocks assembled from disparate parts.
Charles Shuckburgh·John Ellicott·Handley & Moore·Henry Weedon·Edward Shepley
The Georgian Eight Day Longcase Glossary
- Longcase clock
- A tall pendulum clock housed in a wooden floor-standing case, commonly known as a grandfather clock. These instruments measure time across extended periods without manual resetting.
- Dial
- The visible face of the clock showing hours and minutes. Dials employ engraved brass plates or painted iron surfaces.
- Moon phase
- A mechanical display on the dial tracking the lunar cycle through a rotating painted disk. This complication shows the age of the moon in a semicircular aperture.
- Quarter striking
- A mechanism that chimes the quarters of the hour in addition to sounding the full hour count. Such systems require additional gear trains and hammers within the movement.
- Strike silent
- A lever control that disables the striking train so the clock remains quiet through the night. This function prevents the hour chimes from disturbing household sleep.
Georgian Eight Day Longcase: Frequently Asked Questions
How often do they need winding?
An eight day movement requires winding once every week using a key placed into winding holes on the dial face.
Failing to wind the weights back up before the cord fully unwinds causes the clock to stop until reset.
Where should a longcase clock live?
These tall clocks require placement against sturdy interior walls away from direct sunlight, heating vents, and dampness.
Temperature fluctuations and uneven floor surfaces can disrupt the delicate swing of the pendulum and warp the timber case.
How do you set the time?
Moving the minute hand forward allows the gear train to drop into place naturally without jamming the striking sequence.
Turning hands backward risks damaging the internal mechanism and throwing the striking count out of alignment with the hour.
What is a marriage clock?
A marriage clock brings together a dial and movement from one period or maker with a case from another.
Examining the fit of the dial within the hood and checking movement mounting blocks helps reveal whether components started life together.