Antique novelty clock.

Larry 1970

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Sold by s.f.myers&co from Frieburg Germany .looks like a reguler clock until I noticed with a camera and right light it comes to lfe . the glass will display monsters skulls. .people falling to hell all kinds of stuff even the inside the door shows forest with people. And all this changes with movement. .could this be a black forest clock? Anyone ever hear of this and what kind of lighting did they use to show it off?

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JTD

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It is very difficult to say very much about your clock as your two photos are not very sharp. You show a part of the movement; I cannot see any identifying marks, but the photo is very blurred. Where do you see the name S.F. Meyers & Co? As far as I know, Myers was a wholesale clock and watch parts dealer situated in New York, not Freiburg; others may have more information.

I can't see the figures on the glass you mention, but as you seem to have rested the pendulum bob against the front of the clock, this may be the reason they are not visible. Do you think these images are original or might they have been added by a later owner?

I am not sure what you mean about 'could this be a black forest clock?'. There is no such town as Frieburg but there is Freiburg, which is in the black forest area. When people talk of black forest clocks, they often refer to clocks which have the type of wood carving produced in this area. However the area was home to a great many clock manufacturers both large and small, so thousands of clocks were produced in the black forest area, but they are not usually referred to as 'black forest clocks'. What do you understand by the term 'black forest' - perhaps I am misunderstanding your question.

I may well be missing something but if you can post better pictures it would help folks to answer your questions.

JTD
 

Larry 1970

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Mar 28, 2022
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It is very difficult to say very much about your clock as your two photos are not very sharp. You show a part of the movement; I cannot see any identifying marks, but the photo is very blurred. Where do you see the name S.F. Meyers & Co? As far as I know, Myers was a wholesale clock and watch parts dealer situated in New York, not Freiburg; others may have more information.

I can't see the figures on the glass you mention, but as you seem to have rested the pendulum bob against the front of the clock, this may be the reason they are not visible. Do you think these images are original or might they have been added by a later owner?

I am not sure what you mean about 'could this be a black forest clock?'. There is no such town as Frieburg but there is Freiburg, which is in the black forest area. When people talk of black forest clocks, they often refer to clocks which have the type of wood carving produced in this area. However the area was home to a great many clock manufacturers both large and small, so thousands of clocks were produced in the black forest area, but they are not usually referred to as 'black forest clocks'. What do you understand by the term 'black forest' - perhaps I am misunderstanding your question.

I may well be missing something but if you can post better pictures it would help folks to answer your questions.

JTD
s.f.myers&co sold the clock. His label is on the back but not in good shape. He imported clocks and other stuff. Some clocks was American,Germany,and some others I can't remember. There was at one time another label over his but there's only a letter left of that. Why it's hard to see anything with this clock it has something to do with Friedrich Nietzsche . spirtualim metepsychosis and illusion or magic clock I guess you would say. The works and the inside of the case work together on the reflection. You can tell by the diagrams and pictures on the inside. That's what makes the ghost and such appear in the glass. The case with a eye glass you at first see all kinds of raised letters and numbers . so then you get lost. One reason I have never figured this clock out. Now it's about 20 years later on and off messing with it I find that using better lighting a camera to zoom in the pics and a eye glass it made more of a mistory. Some how it works with the right lighting. I'm not sure what was used before. I know the way the case works is it's carved on inside the door it looks like nicks and then the raised letters and numbers over that. Then Some kind of coating. You can tell this was done factory .I thought the varnish was bubbled up at first. I'll get some pictures soon. By the way how Manny pictures are ok to post? Because not one will show you what I'm talking about.
 

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JTD

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Sep 27, 2005
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Well, you may be right. Personally I can't see anything odd about the marks on the case, they look like the factory construction marks to me. Many clocks have components marked so that the workers know what belongs where.

I can't see anything unusual on the pictures of the movement.

But I may be missing something - others may know more or better.

JTD
 

Larry 1970

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Mar 28, 2022
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Well, you may be right. Personally I can't see anything odd about the marks on the case, they look like the factory construction marks to me. Many clocks have components marked so that the workers know what belongs where.

I can't see anything unusual on the pictures of the movement.

But I may be missing something - others may know more or better.

JTD
Do you see the picture in the glass? Zoom in if not. On one of the corners of the door it kinda look like trees. But there's more to it if you zoom in, I know on my phone it zooms in to much sometimes. The lighting matters alot and the pictures I take do not show up near what you can see. I'll post more glass pictures. I don't know how to bring every thing out where you can see it. When your looking through a camera and the clock is turned just right in the light. You can see everything.

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Larry 1970

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Do you see the picture in the glass? Zoom in if not. On one of the corners of the door it kinda look like trees. But there's more to it if you zoom in, I know on my phone it zooms in to much sometimes. The lighting matters alot and the pictures I take do not show up near what you can see. I'll post more glass pictures. I don't know how to bring every thing out where you can see it. When your looking through a camera and the clock is turned just right in the light. You can see everything.

View attachment 703313 View attachment 703315 View attachment 703316
Here are more there's alot going on and it can change depending on the angle you look.

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michael isaacs

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Maybe you could turn off the flash on your phone it might come through better. I'm not getting anything either.
 

Robert Gift

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Howere the images created?
Something modern? Unable to be done when the clock was made?
Thank you.
 

Larry 1970

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Maybe you could turn off the flash on your phone it might come through better. I'm not getting anything either.
That's not a flash it's the light from the ceiling. I have to shine the light into the glass at different directions for the pictures in the glass to show up. In the last picture look at the top of the glass. It's a dark figure. There is some way to make the figures on this clock to appear better I have been looking it up. And they did have ways in the late 1800s to do such a thing. Sometimes a candle with black painted on one side so it wouldn't have a glare. I have just recently the last few days figured out what to search for to figure it out. How it works and who it is about. The stuff done to this clock is not new it's old and it's not done by cheap stickers. Probably a artest when the case was made. I'll keep every updated. I want to see this thing light up or whatever it's supposed to do. Can anyone. See the images show up on the glass? Or what I'm talking about on the case? I'm trying to make it better. But I do know that this clock is about Friedrich Nietzsche a German philosopher . that died late 1880s his pictures on his book covers are the pictures I see on this clock case and glass.
 

Larry 1970

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Mar 28, 2022
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Howere the images created?
Something modern? Unable to be done when the clock was made?
Thank you.
Yes they was able to do this. The same way they did magic. Sometimes candles was used with black on one side to it wouldn't glare. It's a really fine print over the glass. I have been looking stuff like this up. Sometime mirrors was used but in the late 1800s there was a few ways. It's simple how they did it. But the case itself the work done was a long time ago and if you could see it in person you would be amazed that the work that was put into it. Look up Friedrich Nietzsche books at his pictures then you would know the crazy pictures I see.
 

EscapeWheel

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I see two images - are these what you're referring to? One looks like a skull with the pendulum in front of it - one looks like an eighteenth-century man with muttonchops.

I hope I don't have nightmares tonight... ghost2.jpg ghost.jpg
 

Larry 1970

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Mar 28, 2022
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I see two images - are these what you're referring to? One looks like a skull with the pendulum in front of it - one looks like an eighteenth-century man with muttonchops.

I hope I don't have nightmares tonight... View attachment 703522 View attachment 703523
The second is a woman holding a cross in one hand and a clock in the other with a face behind her and trees on the other. To me anyway. Really neat how this works I went searching history seince. Magic. On the way I learned a little about it all. I know if I was told I wouldn't have had the experience. The clues from what people said in history on the search and what I looked for came together. I wrote down what I thought the poem might say. Nothing is what it seems but a trickery of the eyes that one must find out for themselves. I'm pretty sure I was reading about magic and who said it. And parts about freidrich nietzche alot what he writes is about himself. And then nobody knew? Another clue. EBay. I know there's at least 3 clocks on there. And other places. And last. There's no information on a mistory clock. It's a Mystery Clock! Thank you for not ruining it. It is a really neat adventure. Took me about 20 years to start lol.
 

Larry 1970

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Mar 28, 2022
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The second is a woman holding a cross in one hand and a clock in the other with a face behind her and trees on the other. To me anyway. Really neat how this works I went searching history seince. Magic. On the way I learned a little about it all. I know if I was told I wouldn't have had the experience. The clues from what people said in history on the search and what I looked for came together. I wrote down what I thought the poem might say. Nothing is what it seems but a trickery of the eyes that one must find out for themselves. I'm pretty sure I was reading about magic and who said it. And parts about freidrich nietzche alot what he writes is about himself. And then nobody knew? Another clue. EBay. I know there's at least 3 clocks on there. And other places. And last. There's no information on a mistory clock. It's a Mystery Clock! Thank you for not ruining it. It is a really neat adventure. Took me about 20 years to start lol.
Florenz Friedrick Martin Kroeber.
Found it. Has his complete name on the case if you know what your looking for. So 1870-1875? Around 1880 it was F Kroeber. Before that is when he started making his own cases. Has a #4 movement unless you look to long then it looks like a m. And looks alot like a early gilbert movement. The dial has I think 3 stars around the brass winding hole on the right. Like gilbert. But also you can see the faint name kroeber in the right light on the bottom. I'm guessing he made this case sometime early when he started making cases. So anyone know how close I am to the year? Or model?
 

Steven Thornberry

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Larry 1970

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Can you show us the complete name you found on the case?


Can you show us the movement designation that you are seeing?


Can you show us the three stars you are seeing?
Yes I will. I'm going to get together the best pictures I can and highlight where they are with clear plastic and a marker. Some of it is hard to see. Might be a day or two. Does anyone have a picture of his. Celluloid label even if it's just a peace of one? I'm no expert you guys know alot more then I do . I am also no artist. Need you guys to help .i have a theory about this clock. I know from looking at the post he used other movements and modified them a little. I'm sure he did more than that. And ill say this much. And I might be wrong because every time I thought this clock was something like freiburg. It wasn't it was because it's hard to read.and has the wrong works in it for that. I know this much. Samuel myers. His older lablel reads as Samuel Myers. Then mostly like s.f.myers&co so yea no big deal. He sold cases.,clock parts tools watches and everything else. So. Why was the coating on the back of the clock over his label like the coating and celluloid was added later? I know this because it's crusty and you can tell under his label there is no coating. Also every time I have seen a name it's kinda hidden. The dial has what could be his name,And the stars?. stars look painted over so does his name . One is backwards probably from the backside of the dial and faded or old paint its above the winding hole. and both looks like his but it's hard to read. what's weird is the stars and some of his name looks like they was at least partially hidden in the numbers by the winding hole. I never knew this existed until lately looking for clues with a eyeglass. It's really small and fine. The reason I ask for examples of a celluloid label perfer an older one. I see mine as just a peace of one with a couple spots of what's left behind it. I don't know I could very well be over thinking like I do. But could this be the way it was intended to look? It's not like the samual myers label where you can see no coating under it. Under light the part of the celluloid label is part of a picture hard to see and a name that comes through you don't see it very good or very long you all know how it works. But its at least 3 of florenz friedrick martin kroeber. Names. Me and my wife both seen it and the names are a decent size. But then again it doesn't last long. There are also other places with the name. Alot of the case has it but most of it takes the name and overlaps them even the works of the clock. Watch for his whole name at the same time you notice peaces of it mixed together when the graphics kick in.there is also a signature on the works. It's very small . almost looks like nothing and partly hidden under the pin on the bottom left of the back plate. When I took the pin out took a picture and blow it up on my phone you can tell it's a name but that's about it. And the effects that's on the works are in line to it as to be part of it? Or I'm nuts I'm not for sure lol. Because the more I study this clock the more it doesn't make sence until . I'm thinking he might have done it in a artistic way and because he got the clock from samuel myers and then put his touch on everything? That being the celluloid coating he did or have had done? To me that makes sense why the name is hidden in his artistic way? He couldn't get in trouble it had myers name? I don't know , but that is what I find. Or is it that this is part of how the art of horoligy works? Nothing is what it seems. But a flickering of the eyes? For this clock in ways yes.in others why? I'll get the best pictures I can with what I have. Wish I knew somebody close that knew more about how to do some of this . I know holograms of some typs can be blocked. By a typ of paper looked it up yesterday. It also said a peace of I think it was rolled up black paper would work in a pinch? Something to do with different light, New to me. I don't know. But might help because there are different typs.
 

demoman3955

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The only thing i could see on the glass in the photos is what to me looked like faint shadows of reverse painted front glass that was removed or worn off. Im far from an expert, but thats what it looked like to me.
 

dcjens

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This clock needs to be dropped off at Goodwill immediately!
All my cuckoo clocks are striking 12
 

Steven Thornberry

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Leaving aside the ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggetty beasties and things that go bump in the night, I do think that this is the Calypso offered by George B. Owen & Co. (1875-79). Compare the illustration from the only known catalogue (1878) illustrating Owen clocks. The movement, if original to the clock, would seem to be a 30-hour (one-day) Owen movement, the only one I can recall seeing. Even the pendulum seems correct, so far as I can judge from the catalogue illustration. This illustration is from the 2002 catalogue reproduction of the ACWM, Inc.

Owen Calypso.jpg
 
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Larry 1970

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The only thing i could see on the glass in the photos is what to me looked like faint shadows of reverse painted front glass that was removed or worn off. Im far from an expert, but thats what it looked like to me.
it looks like that sometimes. Haven't spent alot of time looking at it. Had other things to do. My model a pickup is one of them . built it from almost nothing. Got me a waltham auto clock for it.now that's cool.
 
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