Unkown Antique Clock Movement

[cjer]

This clock movement was given to me by a friend back in the 70's. I put it in a box and since I am retired now and have taken up clock repairing, I found the box and opened it few days ago. There are no identifying marks on it. The dimensions are 10"W X 10"H X 5.5"D. I have spent hours looking at Google images of antique clock movements without success. Can anyone help me identifying this movement?
Thanks, Jerry

 

[cjer]

This clock movement was given to me by a friend back in the 70's. I put it in a box and since I am retired now and have taken up clock repairing, I found the box and opened it few days ago. There are no identifying marks on it. The dimensions are 10"W X 10"H X 5.5"D. I have spent hours looking at Google images of antique clock movements without success. Can anyone help me identifying this movement?
Thanks, Jerry

View attachment 642160 View attachment 642161 View attachment 642162 View attachment 642163

 

[cjer]

Here are photos of my last

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

This looks to be a French Morbier Comptois movement with a calendar gear and maybe a repeating feature. There are various makers of these movements but none are identifiable since none are signed. The closes you’ll get historical origin is by the signed dial. There were famous makers such as Leon Odobez. I believe this clock is made before 1850 due to its crown wheel escapement. There isn’t much that can identify date since you would need an original cases design to go off of.

Looks like you have two threads on this clock so maybe request to remove the other on.

 

[Ticktocktime100]

Hi,

You have the movement of a late 19th century French Morbier or comtoise (both terms are accurate) clock, circa 1880. These were never stamped, so it will be very difficult to attribute to a specific manufacturer.

Regards.

 

[Ticktocktime100]

The closes you’ll get historical origin is by the signed dial. There were famous makers such as Leon Odobez. I believe this clock is made before 1850 due to its crown wheel escapement.

If the dial is signed, it will be the name of the retailer. Léon Odobez was one of many makers based in the Jura region of France where this clock was made, I very much doubt there is a direct link to this clock. The clock is certainly post 1850 going by the movement configuration, closer to 1880.

Regards.

 

[cjer]

This looks to be a French Morbier Comptois movement with a calendar gear and maybe a repeating feature. There are various makers of these movements but none are identifiable since none are signed. The closes you’ll get historical origin is by the signed dial. There were famous makers such as Leon Odobez. I believe this clock is made before 1850 due to its crown wheel escapement. There isn’t much that can identify date since you would need an original cases design to go off of.

Looks like you have two threads on this clock so maybe request to remove the other on.

Thanks so much for the info. Do these dial photos provide any further info?

 

[Uhralt]

Thanks so much for the info. Do these dial photos provide any further info?

View attachment 642289 View attachment 642290

They tell you that the clock was exported to Spain and sold there by Vicente Lopez in Madrid.

Uhralt

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

The clock is certainly post 1850 going by the movement configuration, closer to 1880.

I only based it on a chart. Am I missing something?

They tell you that the clock was exported to Spain and sold there by Vicente Lopez in Madrid.

That's the closest you'll get with its historical origin/story besides that it's made in France.


Looks like the dial was crushed or stepped on.

 

[JTD]

I only based it on a chart. Am I missing something?

As you don't say what or where the chart was, who can say if you are missing something?

JTD

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

http://www.nawcc-ch190.com/datingmorbiers.pdf

 

[brian fisher]

i am going to agree with salsa on this one. since the suspension spring doesnt have the triangular standoff, it is likely a later version of the crown wheel style. it only has one strike weight which is a little uncommon. this one has a calendar complication which seems to match the dial. it is said that the crown wheel style escapement would have been phased out by 1860 or earlier. by around 1870 or so, most(not all) morbier's used a gong style strike. this one is(actually was) a bell strike movement.

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

I’ll compare the features to my Morbier book later.

 

[JimmyOz]

I read the PDF, it talked about villages making the clocks. Anyway I have a Morbier and on the brass surround it has LP bottom left and 1881 bottom right stamped into the brass. The dial has 'Ro Manet' near the top and 'a Bully Loire' at the bottom, the large brass pendulum has tha counter swinging man (looks like Punch from Punch and Judy) and he swings up and down counter to the pendulum swing, it looks like the man on the horse is running over him.
Anyway I just thought I would share this as the movement has an anchor escapment, flat T section on top holding the suspention spring and a bell strike on the hour and a few minutes past the hour.
I can take a photo if anyone needs it, just don't want to take OP's thread, just thought the date and the movement costruction might help date these clocks?

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

Anything helps really. I would like to see your interesting pendulum and what you mean by the suspension style. Perhaps there be a thread on morbiers if there isn’t already.

 

[JimmyOz]

I bought it years ago as I liked the pendulum, however you need to be 7 foot tall if you want it to run for 7 days. I will take a photo at the weekend and post it Salsagev.

 

[Burkhard Rasch]

to the OP: the aspect of Your clock face/dial assembly can be improved considerably if You separate the three components : the brass surounding, the iron false plate and the enamel dial. The brass piece is attached to the false plate by the sides being crimped around the edge of the iron false plate : uncrimp with care; There are two skrews that fix the dial assembly to the movement cage (allready undone) and two brass rivets in the lower section of the brass attaching it to the iron fals plate. These can be filed off from the back and be pulled to free the brass piece, rivet again when reassembling with round head brass nails.
The brass can be cleaned with a mild dishwasher solution with a few drops of amonia, rinse afterwards throroughly with water. It will clean up and become brighter. Little dents and bruises can be adressed with a softly pointed wooden stick pushing back the impressions from the back side of the (verry thin and soft) brass. Finaly apply some conserving wax to the brass in hope of preventing early re-tarnishing with a soft brush.
The enamel dial is made of copper, verry soft after the enameling process, and fragile. You can clean it with soap or dishwasher from the dirt and the resides of metall polish near the edge and then bleech the multiple hairlines with hydrogeneperoxyde solution. This will make the hairlines lighter/brighter , but not invisible; sometimes tooth paste helps!. Don´t try to debulge the dent under the V! It will cause more problems than help! Instead there is a repair powder for white enamel availiable from the usual suppliers to fill the defect. It should be applied and spread with a small spoon and molten on with a cigarette lighter from the back side of the dial, sometimes more than one portion is needed, any surplus can be cut of with a surgical knive and egalized with fine steel wool. Maybe the iron false plate needs adressing the rust and spraying with a black laquer. Then reassemble the dial assembly.HTH
Burkhard

 

[JimmyOz]

I would like to see your interesting pendulum

The man on the horse moves a bit like a jockey and the guy in the cut out moves up and down. It is hard to make out in the photo, however there is a man with a shepherds crook under the horses feet and in the background are people that look to be in a stadium. Must be a French blood sport or legend?

 

[Calvin H. Huynh]

he man on the horse moves a bit like a jockey and the guy in the cut out moves up and down. It is hard to make out in the photo, however there is a man with a shepherds crook under the horses feet and in the background are people that look to be in a stadium. Must be a French blood sport or legend?

Thats a beauty for sure! Very good condition as far as the cosmetics.

As far as I can make of the picture, it looks like a scene from the mid-evil periods as the man is wearing a ruff, or when Shakespeare was around. That guy also looks like the king. How does the suspension look as I’m curious of what when you described its shape. Thanks for sharing!

 

[JimmyOz]

How does the suspension look as I’m curious of what when you described its shape.

I will do a drawing (not good though) and post it tomorrow as it all sits behind the dial, it is simple enough, just sounded different from the PDF I read.