Seth Thomas Regulator - which one?

[hossners]

Hello - A friend gave me a clock to repair. Unfortunately, it is missing the painted glass and printed panel behind the pendulum (the clock had fallen off the wall and broke to bits). I am having trouble positively identifying it. The internet variously calls it Seth Thomas Regulator #1 or #2. I think it would be 1860-1879 from the 3-piece bow tie construction and lack of signatures. Oddly, it is 90 bpm, while every mention I have found said they should be 80 bpm.

There is a poor image here, but it matches the case style and construction, dial, hands, veneered bezel, and brass works of mine.

Seth Thomas Regulator No. 1 Antique Clock

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Is there a better resource to help me positively identify and date the clock?

BTW, I have it back together except for the glass, and it is running quite well and keeping good time

Thanks!
Steve in OR

 

[rmarkowitz1_cee4a1]

Hello - A friend gave me a clock to repair. Unfortunately, it is missing the painted glass and printed panel behind the pendulum (the clock had fallen off the wall and broke to bits). I am having trouble positively identifying it. The internet variously calls it Seth Thomas Regulator #1 or #2. I think it would be 1860-1879 from the 3-piece bow tie construction and lack of signatures. Oddly, it is 90 bpm, while every mention I have found said they should be 80 bpm.

There is a poor image here, but it matches the case style and construction, dial, hands, veneered bezel, and brass works of mine.

Seth Thomas Regulator No. 1 Antique Clock

.

Is there a better resource to help me positively identify and date the clock?

BTW, I have it back together except for the glass, and it is running quite well and keeping good time

Thanks!
Steve in OR
View attachment 754167

I always find it perplexing that a request is made to help identify a clock without posting a single picture of the actual clock.

RM

 

[hossners]

Here is a picture of my clock reassembled and running. Also a couple pictures of the works as received. Higher resolution than the previous photos. Hope this helps.
You can see that the cable broke, unleashing the 10# weight which then tried to crash through the bottom of the case. Then it came off the wall and shattered on the floor. Amazingly, the works survived. That was about 10 years ago. It has been sitting in a garage since, suffering moisture damage and collecting dead bugs and kibble.
I reassembled the case, installed a new cable and pendulum gauge. I have a .SVG design for the glass, but not sure how to transfer it into paint yet...
Steve

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[hossners]

Well, I did some research with books from the NAWCC library. For this era of Seth Thomas regulator, 1860-1879, the most obvious defining characteristic is the presence or lack of the seconds indicator. Thus, both clocks illustrated above are Regulator #2.

The dial and works will be different as well, of course. Also, the images painted on the glass door are different in the catalogue. Regulator #1 was quite fancy, while Regulator #2 was less so. These painted images may have changed over time.

In 1879 the 'tablet' (the partition behind the pendulum hiding the cast iron weight) was dropped and the weight became a brass cylinder, so my clock predates this version. The 1880 catalogue specifically mentions 80 bpm for Regulator #2. No mention is made for the Regulator #1 in 1880, or for either clock in 1863. That seems to leave open the possibility that the older clocks could have been 90 bpm, as mine. That will be a subject for another day.

Most helpful were 2 reproductions of the Illustrated Catalogue of Seth Thomas Clocks, Regulators and Time Pieces, one from 1863, the other from 1880, available at the library (call numbers 'KM 100 Thomas 1863-74' and 'KM 100 Thomas 1880', respectively)

I hope others might find this information helpful. Thanks to the library staff for their assistance.

Steve

 

[ridaco]

Hello - A friend gave me a clock to repair. Unfortunately, it is missing the painted glass and printed panel behind the pendulum (the clock had fallen off the wall and broke to bits). I am having trouble positively identifying it. The internet variously calls it Seth Thomas Regulator #1 or #2. I think it would be 1860-1879 from the 3-piece bow tie construction and lack of signatures. Oddly, it is 90 bpm, while every mention I have found said they should be 80 bpm.

There is a poor image here, but it matches the case style and construction, dial, hands, veneered bezel, and brass works of mine.


Is there a better resource to help me positively identify and date the clock?

BTW, I have it back together except for the glass get it now, and it is running quite well and keeping good time

Thanks!
Steve in OR
View attachment 754167

Hello! There are a few resources you can use to help identify and date your Seth Thomas clock:

1. The Seth Thomas Clock Company Records: The company kept detailed records of their clock production, which are now housed at the American Clock & Watch Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. You can contact the museum to see if they can provide any information based on the serial number of your clock (if you have it).
2. Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements by Tran Duy Ly: This book is a comprehensive guide to Seth Thomas clocks and includes information on identifying and dating them based on their features. It may be available at your local library or can be purchased online.
3. Clock forums and communities: There are many online forums and communities dedicated to clock collecting and repair. You can post pictures and details of your clock and ask for help identifying it. Some popular forums include the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors and the Clock Corner forum on the Watchuseek website.

I hope this helps you identify your clock and find the information you need to repair it