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This impressive E. Howard & Co. Model #1 wall regulator clock showcases the elegant simplicity and precision craftsmanship that make it one of the most sought-after timepieces on the market. Its clean lines and timeless banjo form appeal to modern and traditional tastes, making it a perfect addition to any home or office. Initially marketed as a watchmaker's regulator in the late 19th century, this clock was advertised as “well adapted for banks, insurance offices, and large rooms,” reflecting its superior functionality and reliability.
In the closing years of the 18th century, when the young American republic was still defining its cultural and economic identity, a tall clock like this one represented far more than a practical timekeeper. Crafted around 1795 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, by the celebrated clockmaker Simon Willard, it was a statement of refinement, ambition, and trust in skilled workmanship. Commissioned for a client named David Wood, whose name appears on the painted dial alongside Willard’s own, the clock embodies a moment when prosperous New Englanders sought objects that combined scientific precision with the elegance of fine furniture. Rising in richly figured mahogany and automated by a carefully engineered brass movement, the clock reflects the quiet confidence of Federal-era Boston, where artisans, merchants, and patrons together shaped a distinctly American tradition of craftsmanship.
This well-proportioned, cross-banded mahogany tall clock, made about 1820 by Frederick Wingate of Augusta, Maine, No.180, survives with its original finish intact. For collectors who prize untouched surfaces, it stands as an exceptional example, and perhaps one of the finest Wingate tall clocks known.
This tall, elegant clock, made by Jacob Sargeant in Hartford, Connecticut, around 1795, exemplifies the refined Hartford–Windsor case tradition. This clockmaking style developed along the Connecticut River valley in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, blending functional form with intricate decoration. The case, crafted from richly colored cherry wood with a deep chocolate-brown finish, is taller and more slender than most similar clocks, imparting a subtle elegance. The base features ogee-bracket feet, curved brackets, and double-stepped moldings underneath. The shaped waist door is framed by fluted quarter columns, capped in brass. These details closely match casework from Hartford and Windsor workshops of that period.
Aaron Willard of Boston, Massachusetts, crafted this distinguished mahogany tall clock, notable for its refined craftsmanship, automated rocking-ship dial, and original, rare setup label printed from plates engraved by the American Patriot Paul Revere. This clock stands as a rare survivor from a time when New England artisans, including clockmakers, cabinetmakers, and engravers, shaped a distinctly American aesthetic.
A French Marvel in Motion
Emerging from the inventive spirit of the late 19th century is a French industrial windmill-form compendium, a curious and meticulously crafted object, made for the Spanish market. Resting on a circular Belgian slate base, the structure, finished in gilded faux ashlar, resembles a miniature civic monument, its details rendered with notable seriousness for such a whimsical form.
The E. Howard Model No. 59-8 Black Dial: Time, Rarity, and Refinement
Among E. Howard & Co.'s renowned regulators, the Model No. 59, are distinguished by their elegance and rarity. Available in four sizes, this example is the second-smallest, measuring 3 feet 10 inches in length and featuring an 8-inch dial diameter. Customers could select their case from wood options such as oak, ash, cherry, or walnut—all finished to Howard's meticulous standards.
Signed on the dial by Rutland's leading clockmaker, Nicholas Goddard, this tall clock stands as a Vermont masterpiece and one of the finest examples of Federal-era craftsmanship from the bucolic state.
This exceptional D.J. Gale Astronomical Calendar gallery clock ranks among the most intricate and visually captivating American wall clocks of its era. It was crafted in partnership with Welch, Spring & Company, and Daniel Jackson Gale in Forestville, Connecticut.
A Contemporary Master Revives America's "Most Beautiful Clock"
In 2005, the late Massachusetts clockmaker Foster S. Campos crafted what would become his third Girandole wall timepiece of that year. At first glance, his creation appears to be an heirloom from the early 19th century, featuring a mahogany case, a gilded eagle finial, and convex glass panels illuminated with painted ornamentation. However, it stands as a modern reproduction of one of the rarest and most celebrated American clock styles: the Girandole, first patented around 1820 by Lemuel Curtis of Concord, Massachusetts.