Birge & Fuller 8-day Wagon Spring powered Steeple-on-Steeple Clock. 218129.

This is a sweetheart of a clock. It is a very good example of a steeple-on-steeple clock manufactured by the firm Birge & Fuller of Bristol, Connecticut. 

This is a highly collectible example due to the fact that it is powered with a "Wagon spring" mechanism. The movement in this clock is constructed in brass. It is designed to run for eight days on a full wind and strike the hour on a wire gong. Where it differs is in the manner in which it is powered. (A Joseph Ives Patent.) This model is powered by a leaf spring or wagon spring. A coil spring is the most common method of powering a Connecticut clock. When one winds this clock, cords pull on levers that tension the leaf springs. These springs are mounted to the bottom of the case. This added mechanical feature must have been very costly to produce compared to the standard coil spring-driven movement. The wagon spring example incorporated several cast iron parts, which include a leaf spring, levers, and hoists or pulleys. As a result, this clock probably didn't sell very well. Today, because of the limited number of clocks made and the survivability of those that did, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good examples such as this one. 

The clock case is veneered with mahogany and retains its original finish, which is currently a light brown color. The tablets are also original to this clock and are in very good original condition. They are frosted and decorated with painted floral designs. The dial on this clock is painted on tin and features the traditional Roman numeral formatted time ring. The Clockmaker's label is pasted onto the backboard. It is in very good overall condition. 

This clock is elevated on four bun feet. The case measures approximately 27.5 inches tall by 13.5 inches wide. It was made circa 1845. 

John Birge and Thomas Fuller shared a successful partnership in Bristol, Connecticut, from 1844 through 1848. They made many steeple clocks with a large variation of movements. 

Inventory number 218129.