Seth Thomas 12 Inch Drop Octagon. School clock. 223092.
The Seth Thomas Clock Company of Thomaston, Connecticut, manufactured this wall clock. This popular model appears in their 1900 catalog as the "Drop Octagon Twelve Inch." These wall clocks were sold in significant numbers. Today, we call them "School House" clocks because they were installed in schoolrooms nationwide. All seven major Connecticut clock companies made a version of this form. The Seth Thomas version is the model by which all others are judged.
This is an oak-cased example. The case wood retains an older surface that has been enhanced with wax. As a result, the case is now a pleasing, mellow color. Often, the date of manufacture is printed on the back of these cases in ink. This one is dated May 1893 per the Seth Thomas code "3981E." The dial bezel is brass and has been recently polished. It is fitted with glass and protects the painted tin dial.
This dial features Roman-style hour numerals on a segmented minute track. The Manufacturer's trademark, "ST," which stands for Seth Thomas, is below the hour numeral XII. This trademark is a symbol of the clock's authenticity and the company's long-standing reputation for quality.
The spring wound movement, a testament to the quality of Seth Thomas clocks, is brass construction and is die-stamped by the Maker on the front plate. The works are designed to run for eight days on a full wind, a testament to their durability. The front plate is fitted with a Geneva Stop wind gear. These clocks are excellent runners and will provide years of additional service. The brass-faced pendulum bob can be viewed through the glass door in the front of the case.
This example measures approximately 24 inches long. This is a very good example.
Inventory number 223092.
Seth Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner and worked building houses and barns. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry. Thomas formed a clock-making partnership in Plymouth, Connecticut, with Eli Terry and Silas Hoadley as Terry, Thomas & Hoadley. In 1810, he bought Terry's clock business, making tall clocks with wooden movements. Seth chose to sell his shares in the partnership in 1812, moving in 1813 to Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, where he set up a factory to make metal-movement clocks. In 1817, he added shelf and mantel clocks. By the mid-1840s, He successfully transitioned to brass movements and expanded his operations by building a brass rolling mill and a cotton factory. In 1853, He incorporated the business but continued to be the majority shareholder. This clock business expanded until it became one of the "BIG Seven" in Connecticut. Their product line had offerings that competed at every price point, from kitchen clocks to precision regulators. Seth Thomas died in 1859. The community of Plymouth Hollow so revered him that they changed the name on July 6, 1875, to Thomaston in his honor. After his death, his son, Aaron, took over the company's leadership. Aaron is credited with increasing the business by adding a number of new case styles and improving production methods. The company went out of business in the 1980s.
