Chauncey Jerome Steeple

[Bruce Barnes]

Won this at auction and it was a "crap shoot" but I liked the case,tablet and the over all appearance.The Auction House said Jerome but we shall see.Cant wait to pull the dial and look inside.The paint on the tablet looks to be in decent shape so,need to clean up the "repaired" finial..................This will make a nice Christmas present.
Any thoughts and comments will be appreciated.
Bruce

 

[Jay]

Bruce,
Very nice clock! Congrats!


Jay

 

[Kevin W.]

Nice clock Bruce, i only have a Chauncey Ogee but have a Welch steeple to restore some day.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Thanks Gentlemen this is the first alarm system I have owned that the arbor was positioned on the dial.They have always been on the backboard and the alarm and arbor lower right bottom.
Bruce

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Was there any time period or particular clock makers that built the alarm mechanism to be dial wound versus the mechanism that was mounted in the lower portion of the backboard and were wound thusly?
I have seen some weight movements that had the dial arbor configuration but not necessarily the spring driven units.
Any thoughts?
Bruce

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Was there any time period or particular clock makers that built the alarm mechanism to be dial wound versus the mechanism that was mounted in the lower portion of the backboard and were wound thusly?
I have seen some weight movements that had the dial arbor configuration but not necessarily the spring driven units.
Any thoughts?
Bruce

New Haven had between the plates alarms. It wil be interesting to see the movement in your clock when you receive it.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Thanks Steven.........did the industry move from between the plate sustems because of cost or because with the exterior mounted system you could basically retrofit almost any mechanism?
It would seem labor wise that you have eliminated some time by going external especially with the Critical Path Method,out comes a step and the completion hastens or is this a bad guess?
Bruce

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Thanks Steven.........did the industry move from between the plate sustems because of cost or because with the exterior mounted system you could basically retrofit almost any mechanism?
It would seem labor wise that you have eliminated some time by going external especially with the Critical Path Method,out comes a step and the completion hastens or is this a bad guess?
Bruce

Well, you seem to imply that the one system pre-dated the other and that most manufacturers (the industry") had a between-the-plates alarm. I actually think that the external alarm may have been around before a between the plates alarm (subject to correction on this point, please), but certainly both types co-existed at some point (New Haven used both). As to my other point ("the industry"), off-hand, I can recall no manufacturer in America that used between the plates alarms other than New Haven (again, subject to correction, please). Well, I believe Jerome also did it, and that may be where NH got the idea. I would be willing to hazard that few manufacturers used between the plates alarms, whatever the reason. JMO.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Hi Steven,no "implication" intended just an interrogative for learning purposes.....I have seen between the plates in other movements,just wondered why and when.?
Happy Thanksgiving,
Bruce

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Hi Steven,no "implication" intended just an interrogative for learning purposes.....I have seen between the plates in other movements,just wondered why and when.?
Happy Thanksgiving,
Bruce

And a Happy Turkey to you, Bruce. It would be nice, I sometimes think, to have a thread on American movements to get a look at the various types. Sometimes, we are all limited by what we have seen (and remember ) in our horological travels.

And since you mentioned other movements, Irenus Atkins also comes to mind.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Hi Steven,I did a little more research and found the majority of the "between the plates" alarm system seem to be on the WW movements and limited to brass works.I looked at your Derby model and the dial has the same arbor configuration as mine,the arbors are a match.Is the Derby an 8 day?
The auction house may have been liberal in their identification as to Chauncey Jerome,more than likely New Haven nee' chauncey jerome maybe there is a partial label or some id on the front plate but we shall see.
Except for the damaged finial (bad repair) the case looks ok as does the tablet.Since the tablet is of Trafalgar Square,I wonder if this was an export clock?
Bruce

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Hi Steven,I did a little more research and found the majority of the "between the plates" alarm system seem to be on the WW movements and limited to brass works.I looked at your Derby model and the dial has the same arbor configuration as mine,the arbors are a match.Is the Derby an 8 day?
The auction house may have been liberal in their identification as to Chauncey Jerome,more than likely New Haven nee' chauncey jerome maybe there is a partial label or some id on the front plate but we shall see.
Except for the damaged finial (bad repair) the case looks ok as does the tablet.Since the tablet is of Trafalgar Square,I wonder if this was an export clock?
Bruce

My Derby is a 30-hour, though I have seen what was purported to be an 8-day version. The style of your steeple clock looks like earlier model steepless, and Jerome produced similar steeples (Gothics), ranging from 19" to 22 1/2" high. But a peek at the movement in yours will tell the story.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Well the clock arrived and is up and running at this time,set the alarm but it still hasn't gone off yet.
The works are unmarked,but I noticed that the Fly is dead center on the plates, not the usual upper left corner.
The time spring is very large and the strike spring is a little smaller width wise .
Has 6 wheels in each train.
The Label is blue in color and states:

Chauncey Jerome
New Haven,Conn
Spring Weight Pendulum Balance
Of every New and Popular Style
All warranted good
no printers name

The case measures:
Height-19 1/2 "
Width - 10 "

Any thoughts on age?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Steven Thornberry]

I would put in around 1850, but that's a fudge. Jerome was in New Haven from 1845 to 1855, when his business failed. New Haven Clock Co. bought him out completely in 1856. This case style was around for some time in the 1840's and 50's (designed, I believe, by Elias Ingraham). It would be nice to see the label and movement. Someone may be able to narrow down the date range based on the blue color of the label.