Seth Thomas Regulator No. 10. Number 44. Dated - March 22, 1881. 221128.
This very impressive clock is called the "Regulator No. 10." It was listed in 1884 through the 1904 Seth Thomas Clock Catalog. This case clock hangs a full 72 inches long. Today, it is considered by many collectors to be Seth Thomas' most desirable model.
This example is constructed in walnut wood and features richly-grained burl walnut veneers on all of the raised panels incorporated in the design of this case. A decorative pediment surmounts the top of the case. This masculine form closely resembles the outside walls of a frontier fortification used in the early 1800s. Below this is a box that protects the movement and dial. The front panel is a door that incorporates a circular aperture. This circular aperture is framed with a turned molding or bezel. This opening is fitted with glass secured by a trim ring with a nickel finish. It is through this glass that one views the dial. Large oval windows are incorporated into the sides of the case. Through these, one can view the clock's mechanism. The long narrow section below the dial provides protection for the weight and pendulum. The transition is nicely defined by the additional use of the interesting molding format found at the top of the case. Much of this long section is fitted with large glass panels. The two located on the sides of this case allow additional light to access the interior. The glass panel in the front of the case is fitted into a large door frame. This opens to allow one access to the clock's pendulum and weight. The viewer will also see the wonderful burl walnut panel that is fitted inside the case and makes up the backboard. The framing for this door is decoratively formatted. Fully turned columns are mounted to the sides of the case. These help tie together the case design. The lower section of the case is trimmed with a similar molding that surmounts the top of the case. It is constructed in such a manner as to add a dimension of depth to the case design.
This heavy brass-made dial measures 14 inches in diameter. It has been silvered. The silvering is in excellent condition. The engraved time ring is formatted with a closed minute ring. The minutes are represented with dashes. The five-minute markers are triangles, and the quarter-hour positions are diamonds. Inside this ring are the large Roman-style hour numerals. The Maker's name and trademark are also engraved within the time ring. Three steel hands are mounted to the center arbor. This clock features a sweep second hand. Both the sweep second hand and the minute hand is counterweighted.
The movement in this Model No. 10 is among the finest that Seth Thomas produced. The large, heavy brass plates are in the shape of a trapezoid. The plates have been finished in nickel and are polished to a high luster. The latter movements are usually finished in a different manner. The plates are supported by four robust brass posts. These are attached to the plates with large screws that have been blued. The back plate is die-stamped with the Maker's trademark. The date of "May 24, 1881" is also included as well as the "No. 44." The steel pinions are finely cut. The escapement is a Graham deadbeat format, and the pallets are jeweled. This clock is also fitted with maintaining power. The verge is fitted with a beat adjustment. The movement is mounted to an iron bracket secured to the backboard. It is powered by a nickeled cylindrical weight and hangs from a decorative pulley. This clock is designed to run for eight days on a full wind.
The pendulum is also suspended from the iron bracket. A turned wooden rod supports a decorative brass cylindrical jar. The fine finished point located at the bottom of the rod swings in front of a decoratively engraved beat scale. This beat scale is mounted to the back of the case. It is brass and has also been silvered.
This fine clock was made in 1881 and is a full 72 inches in length. It is an impressive piece.
Inventory number 221128.
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.
