George A. Jones & Co., New York, New York. A Floor Standing Regulator.
A Monumental Jewelers Regulator.
This very impressive clock is one of the most unusual and beautiful American Astro Regulators we have had the privilege to offer. I was constructed in New York City by George A. Jones & Co. He had a retail location at No. 6 Court Street and advertised having factories on Greenwich Street, New York and a second was located in Bristol, Connecticut.
ThIs case is constructed in walnut and features numerous burl walnut veneered panels. This is a wonderful combination of woods and is used in some of the best Victorian furniture of the period. The workmanship is exceptional. This case measures a full 112 inches or 9 feet 4 inches tall , 43 inches wide and 17.5 inches deep. It is safe to say that this clock commands one's attention. The engraved brass dial has been silvered. It measures 16.5 inches across the time ring or 20 inches in diameter at the bezel. This dial is displayed in an Astronomical format. This means that three separate dials are used to display the time. The large time ring, which is located on the outer edge of this dial, displays the minutes in Arabic numerals. The minutes are indicated by the long narrow steel hand which is mounted onto the center shaft in the middle of the dial. Inside this outer ring one will find two subsidiary dials. The upper subsidiary dial displays the seconds. The use of Arabic numerals is repeated in this location. The lower subsidiary dial displays the hours. The hours are engraved in a Roman numeral format.
The movement is constructed in brass and is very high quality. It is mounted onto a fancy brass bracket. This bracket is nicely decorated with scroll like piercing. The center features a heart design. The bracket is mounted directly to the backboard. The movement is secured to this with two large thumb screws. These are located at the bottom of the movement. The plates of this movement are shaped like a trapezoid. They are heavily cast and lightly decorated with a damascene design. The escapement is a deadbeat. This movement also features maintaining power. The pendulum is suspended from the top of the bracket and interacts with the movement through the crutch wire. The pendulum rod appears to be made of the bimetallic metal, invar. It may be silver plated. It features a wonderful patina. This rod supports three glass jars that were originally filled with mercury. The jars are fluted. Trim work is applied to the outer edge. The pendulum configuration is very impressive. The movement is weight powered. A cylindrical weight is hung on the right side of the case and is attached to the cord with a large brass pulley. This impressive wall timepiece is designed to run for 8 days on a full wind and was made circa 1870.
Very few collections or museums will ever have the opportunity to house a clock of this style by one of America's most important Victorian clockmakers.
George Alfred Jones was born in June of 1825 and passed away in 1881. His professional journey began in Bristol, Connecticut, where he was actively involved from 1864 to 1879. Notably, for the first two decades of his business, he was in a fruitful partnership with James Wood of New York City. This timeline of his business activities reflects the progression and evolution of his career.
In 1863, George Alfred Jones's name appeared in a directory associated with a lamp business located at 589 Greenwich Street in New York. The same year, The George A. Jones Clock Company was established. The following year, the directory's listing expanded to include his involvement with a clock business at 2 Courtlandt Street. This was a significant period for the clock company, as it produced a range of exquisite clocks, including walnut-cased parlor, wall clocks, and several impressive standing and wall-hanging regulators. These clocks, a testament to Jones's craftsmanship, are highly sought after by collectors today. The business moved between No.2, 5, and 6 Courtlandt Street until 1872. In 1870, he built a brick factory to manufacture shelf clocks. It opened in 1871, and the business closed down in New York. The Bristol location closed down in 1874.
