Seth Thomas Banner Lever - 1879. 8-day time only. 218128.
This is a clean example of a "Lever" clock made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company of Thomaston, Connecticut, circa 1885.
The case is brass. It has been recently polished and looks terrific. This case is nicely shaped and is designed to step back to the wall at a distance of approximately 3.5 inches. The outermost surface, the dial bezel, measures 7.5 inches in diameter. The case widens with each of the three steps to a diameter of 10.75 inches against the wall. Each of the three graduated steps transitions to the next with a cove molding. The dial bezel supports a piece of clear glass that protects the dial. The dial is paper and is applied to a pan. It is original to this clock and is in very good condition. The minutes are displayed on the outer ring. Roman-style numerals are used to indicate each hour. A subsidiary seconds dial is located below the hour numeral XII. This dial also displays the Maker's name, "Seth Thomas," and their trademark. The double wind time-only movement is brass construction and is die-stamped by the Maker on the front plate. It is powered by two coil springs. When fully wound, it is designed to run for eight full days. The movement design features a lever escapement. Using a balance wheel allows the clock to overcome the event of being moved or vibrated. A clock that is fitted with a pendulum needs to be stable. This means that clocks like this one are ideal for use on boats, motorhomes, and campers. (Can you imagine the reaction you would get if you had this clock mounted in your vehicle?) The Maker's label is pasted onto the wooden backboard of the clock. It is quite large, extending from one edge to the other. This label is in very good condition. It lists the place location of manufacture as Thomaston, Conn.
This clock was made circa 1885 and measured 10.75 inches across the back. Two tabs are provided for mounting—one at the top and one at the bottom of the case to stabilize it.
Inventory number 218128.
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.
