Tiffany tall case clocks

[greentree64]

Does anyone know who may have provided the cases that Tiffany used in their tall case clocks? I’m thinking probably higher end manufacturers like Horner and H&H? I’m pretty sure they didn’t make their cases or works, just assembled the parts from other manufacturers and put their label on the dials.

 

[greentree64]

Anyone

 

[J. A. Olson]

The American hall clock trade was a real web of suppliers, importers, orchestraters, and actual manufacturers of entire clocks and parts thereof.
Some casemakers that come to mind would include Kroeger, Sabbart & Co. of Cincinnati, Tobey Chicago, R. J. Horner of New York, and of course Herschede in Cincinnati.

That is not even close to a complete list, because many of the actual manufacturers were kept hush-hush and often forgotten about over time.
It was also habitual for companies not to spill the beans on who made what, or how what was made. It was already a vicious competition with every company putting their own spin on the same basic concept.

This 1892 Walter Durfee advertisement lists several of Durfee's then-authorized sales agents.
Some notable names include Theodore B. Starr, Bailey Banks & Biddle, and Frank Herschede.
While not listed here, Durfee clocks bearing the Tiffany& Co. name are known to exist.

 

[greentree64]

I figured there would be quite a few, since Tiffany didn’t make their own clocks, but wasn’t sure if a particular company was a favored supplier. But it makes sense that Tiffany, being a high end retailer, wouldn’t necessarily advertise who made the cases since the importance probably focused on who made the clockworks!

 

[J. A. Olson]

Walter Durfee was the 'original' hall clock magnate and single-handedly revived the American tallcase clock market in the 1890's. He aspired to uphold only the best quality possible, no matter the cost. It would have been a real honor for anyone to retail his clocks during their heyday.

In 1902, Durfee lost the exclusive rights to sell tubular chime clocks in the USA: the result was several other clock companies got in on producing and selling tubular bell chime clocks. There was a growing split amongst the 'quality' and 'quantity' manufacturers which gradually became more explicit as the years went by. Some manufacturers sought to uphold quality amid changing times - others wanted to cut corners and make everything as cheaply as possible.

That timeframe between 1890 to 1930 was something special, an era of American clockmaking that'll never be repeated again.
I don't see any modern Howard Miller or Korean no-name clock ever gaining that kind of reverence.

 

[gvasale]

I can verify one Tiffany branded tall clock with Durfee stamped on the edge of one plate.