French clock with Detroit company on dial

[Darrmann39]

I'm just doing a basic tear down and cleaning for a good customer on this porcelain French clock. Just curious about the EM marking and the Detroit /Wright Kay &Co. Connection. Never really see a French clock with an American dial. Found a few EM only one French 1870

 

[new2clocks]

Just curious about the EM marking and the Detroit /Wright Kay &Co. Connection.

'EM' is most likely the finisher of the movement, as opposed to the maker of the movement. This was quite common with French movements.

The Detroit company was the retailer of the clock.

Regards.

 

[Darrmann39]

'EM' is most likely the finisher of the movement, as opposed to the maker of the movement. This was quite common with French movements.

The Detroit company was the retailer of the clock.

Regards.

Understand that. And realize the dials are lots of times the retailer to .
Do you think the Detroit company collaborated with EM to have their name put on dial?

 

[new2clocks]

Do you think the Detroit company collaborated with EM to have their name put on dial?

That is a possibility.

The Detroit retailer could have added their name after receiving the clock.

We don't know for sure.

Regards.

 

[zedric]

The World's fair was held in Chicago in 1893, with a lot of French clockmakers exhibiting, and the number of French clocks with American names on them seems (in my limited experience) to have increased from that time on. There are plenty of examples if you look for them - I have a few French carriage clocks with American retailers' names on the dial, for example.

I would imagine that, just like the French clocks exported to the UK and elsewhere, most of them out have been ordered from the French supplier with the name on the dial already, but some movements would also have been bought to fit into clocks made locally.

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

I'm just doing a basic tear down and cleaning for a good customer on this porcelain French clock. Just curious about the EM marking and the Detroit /Wright Kay &Co. Connection. Never really see a French clock with an American dial. Found a few EM only one French 1870

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A French shelf clock with an American retailer's name on the dial is not at all unusual. It's not an American dial. The retailer added they name to the dial.

I have seen many. Typically, a jeweler, even the likes of Tiffany & Co., from many American cities. Has nothing to do, per se, with a nearby world's fair.

Also seen in the instance of American clocks. For example, I have seen Waltham banjos with the name of a jeweler on the dial.

RM