The Chelsea Clock Company Board of Directors met for the first time on July 28, 1897. The Board consisted of Whipple N. Potter, Jr., President, Charles H. Pearson, Treasurer, Reginald Foster, Clerk and Secretary. Allen L. Shepherd served on the Board with the elected officers. This first group of individuals was not together long. The Chelsea firm perserverd and has enjoyed a long run of success as a result of making clocks of superior manufacture. This comapny made many clocks. Some of which were in the style of the Willard Timepiece or Banjo Clock, the E. Howard Model No., 70 and more famously, Marine Clocks. This company remains in business today.

This clock, having a large dial and long drop, is a very popular form. Many competetiors offered a similar clock. Chelsea’s version is called the “Pendulum No. 1.”

This clock is cased in oak and has a warm and inviting finish. The twelve inch white enameled non-crackable dial is painted on tin. This dial is original to this clock and is in excellent original condition. The movement is brass and die-stamped with the Maker’s trademark on the front plate. It is also numbered “A 429” in this location. “$29” is also written in pencil on the back of the case. This number indicates that this clock was made in 1899 to 1900. The movement is weight driven and is designed to run for eight-days on a full wind. The pendulum rod is wood and the bob is brass. The motion of this pendulumn can be viewed through the lower door. This clock also retains the clockmaker’s original set up ;label. This can be seen pasted to the back of the door.

These clocks were used extensively in the public school systems of cities like Boston, New York and Brooklyn. They were also used in the offices of various railroad companies, fire departments, etc. This early example measures 34 inches long overall and was made in 1900.