P. H. Dudley walnut wall regulator made in New York. Dudley wall clock. 218097.
This is a fine example. The case is constructed in walnut and retains a lighter finish. It is somewhat larger than the more common E. Howard 70-12 or the Seth Thomas No. 2. This clock features an octagonal-shaped top and door. The lower door is fitted with glass that has been decorated with gilt borders. The upper door opens to access a dial that measures 14 inches in diameter and is painted on tin. The formatting of the time ring is a little different than what we now consider the standard setup. The outer time ring displays the minutes. Diamonds indicate the five-minute markers, and the numerical values are in Arabic form and positioned on the perimeter of the closed time ring. A space is left between this minute ring and the hour ring. Roman-style numerals are used to de-mark each hour. Inside this ring is the Dudley name. It is signed "P.H.DUDLEY. / NY." in this location. Above this, "ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED" is printed. The hands are well formed. The hour hand is a pierced spade form. The minute hand is more interesting because it is stretched to reach the extended minute ring. One may also notice the letter "D" incorporated into the design. "D" for Dudley. Because of its length, this hand is counterbalanced on the short end with a brass weight. Behind the dial is a weight-powered movement.
Gustave Becker made the weight driven. It is a time-only design and is said to be of excellent quality. The brass plates are trapezoid in shape. The front plate of this clock is die-stamped with the number "193775." It is powered by a brass-covered weight that descends the center of the case in front of the pendulum. The pendulum features an ebonized wood stick that supports a sizeable brass-covered bob. It also has a beat adjustment just below the movement. The pendulum and movement are mounted to a cast iron bracket that is secured to the back of the case. This bracket is designed with the initials "P" and "D." The synchronizer mechanism would have also been mounted on this bracket beside the movement. It is now missing.
This case measures approximately 38 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 5.5 inches deep. This clock was made circa 1879.
Inventory number 218097.
P.H. (Plimmon Henry) Dudley(1843-1924). Mr. Dudley was a gifted civil and metallurgical engineer whose opinions on these matters were held in high regard and respected by the railroad industry. Concerning clocks in the development of standardizing time, he believed in electronically adjusting or synchronizing clocks along the rail line. This was done simultaneously along the rail line by connecting them by a signal. This would, intern decrease the variability of station clock displays. He showed that the variation average was 3 minutes a day if the clocks were set by hand. By electrically controlling this adjustment, this variability would vanish. The system he developed was reliable, and as a result, his clock sold well. His first clocks were installed in 1879 along the mainline stations on the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad. Due to their success, they were installed on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad the following year. Still employed by railroad concerns, by 1882, he moved away from the horology side to work on other rail-related issues. This departure of concentration left the market for high-quality synchronizers wide open to other competitors.
For a more in depth description of Dudley, please read Bob Simon's article published in the NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin dated March/April 2015.
