Seth Thomas Regulator No. 31. Mahogany wall clock. 213149.
This very impressive wall clock measures approximately 68 inches long, 25 inches wide, and 9 inches deep. The case is constructed in mahogany and retains its original finish. This surface has been waxed and remains a lovely, deep, rich color. The case features decorative details that include turned finials at the top and bottom of the case, reeded moldings used in the door frame's construction, and an inset panel incorporated in the backboard construction.
The painted zinc dial is framed with a brass bezel and measures 18 inches in diameter. It displays the hours in large Arabic numerals. The seconds have their subsidiary seconds dial. The time is displayed by two large decorative hands that retain their original bluing. The minute hand, due to its length, is counterbalanced. The Maker also signs this dial.
The brass-constructed movement is of very good quality. It is weight-powered and wound with a crank key. This clock is designed to run for eight days on a full wind. The front plate is die-stamped with the Maker's name and trademark. The plates are shaped like a trapezoid and, as a result, tapers at the top. The escapement is a Graham deadbeat that is adjustable from the top. The gearing incorporates maintaining or retaining power. A shaped wood rod supports the brass-faced pendulum bob. This is suspended from an iron bracket that is mounted to the backboard. The weight is also covered in brass and descends in front of the pendulum. Please note the swing indicator mounted to the backboard.
This large wall clock was made circa 1900.
Inventory number 213149.
The photos of this clock were taken before it was serviced.
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.
