Seth Thomas Chronometer Lever Clock. A large 14.75-inch diameter case. Barr Pumping Engine Co. TT-100.
This clock was initially marketed for yachts, steamers, and all places where accurate time is necessary, and a pendulum clock cannot be used. This example, having a case that measures 14.5 inches in diameter and a dial that measures 12 inches across, was the largest model cataloged in 1920 as the “Ship’s Lever No. 12.”
This is a clean example of a “Chronometer Lever” clock made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company. The case is cast brass and features a nickel-plated surface. The glass-fitted bezel is hinged on the right and locks on the left. The double wind time-only movement is die-stamped on the front plate with the number 10A and the Maker’s name. The works feature a jeweled escapement with a compensating balance wheel. The movement is brass construction. It is spring-powered and is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. The dial is also metal and is finished in silver. Fancy Arabic numerals mark the hours on the time ring. It also features a small seconds indicator above the center arbor.
This clock’s dial has some information about its original owners engraved on it. It was used by the “BARR PUMPING ENGINE CO.” of “PHILADELPHIA.” It was sold to them by the “ASHCROFT MFG Co.,” which had locations in New York and Philadelphia. There is quite a lot of information available about this company currently online.
Inventory number TT-100.
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.
