Featured Looking to date a piece of scroll saw work going by the clock

Picked this out of a locker auction today.
Looks like a Chimes of Normandy Clock from plans Google searching.
The clock looks to wind up and has a S F on the top by the 12 with something ( could be a S T in a diamond logo) seth thomas?
Anyone know the name of the clockwork or time frame?

 

S..F... is slow...fast......put key in to regulate speed...

SC in the diamond could be the maker..

looks more like a house than a clock...

can u open up the back, and let us see if there are further marks???

 

I'll get to cleaning it up in a few days.
The back does open.
Looks to be hand made, the Chimes of Normandy plans can be bought.

Slow/Fast that makes more sense now.
Came with a display case, also looks hand made.

 

The movement is a Seth Thomas deadbeat escapement of the Brocot style, probably from around 1900, quite good quality for an American clock movement.
No way of dating the whole structure, though, orphan movements have been quite easy to find for a long time.
The amount of work involved is staggering.

 

I went to an estate sale last year where there was a room full of scroll saw houses with clocks/clock towers. You can buy patterns for these, but the level of craftsmanship (and patience) needed to do the work is unreal.

 

here is one if you have access to worthpoint

"
1890s FRETWORK LARGE CLOCK "THE CHIMES OF NORMANDY"
Description

Up for sale to the discerning collector is this absolutely stunning work of fretwork "The Chimes Of Normandy". It has been in our family for generations and was made by my great-grandfather shortly after the turn of the century.

The use of a scroll saw or jigsaw to create elaborate fretwork ornament for shelves, clocks, and picture frames was a popular pastime for both men and women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Chimes of Normandy pattern appears to have been particularly popular among hobbyists. The original building plan for this wonderful piece were drawn and published by one J.R. Bowman in 1885.


It took my great-grandfather over 1000 hours and 3000+ cuts to create this magnificent masterwork of fretwork. I believe that the wood used is maple or poplar; it is fine grained and without blemishes and was told that it was made shortly before around the turn of the century."

 

My first reaction was a church. Are the Chimes of Normandy like the Westminster Chimes, and there is/was an actual church associated with them?

I was going to say I thought it looks like ST, then afantiques said:

I see 2 keyholes at the bottom & know virtually nothing about clocks. Is one for the movement & one for the bells? Is a bell missing from the tower on viewer's left?

 

it has lost some bits over time. explains the extra tall case

 

I don’t know what it sold for, but I assume it wasn’t very much. Which shows the difficulty of thinking the things we value as heirlooms will continue to have value for future generations. All it takes is one link in the chain to want to Kondo-ize their possessions to break the legacy of four generations and 1000s of hours of work.

 

This appeals to me on a doll house level,victorian level and gorgeousness level !

 

Yes I noticed that it had a bit of display wear, there are a few pieces laying in the main level and bell towers are missing.
It was actually behind the display case and COULDN'T be seen from the auction door while bidding (that definitely kept the price down on the unit)
Did a little digging in other boxes and came across another box with more pieces.
NICE, should be a fun puzzle....

Along with what looks like a catalog from BOWMAN'S, was hoping it maybe contained instructions and plans...NICE.

Then we have what I hope is all the bigger missing parts

 

And lots of bells! You'll have to show us if you piece it together. Cool find, even if not highly valuable on the market.

 

Will do....I'll add it to the long list of things that need to get done it's got the cool factor so it will surely get bumped up the list.

 

The clock movement has winding holes for time and strike. There is no chance that it chimes and the strike is probably on a bell or gong in the yet unrevealed back.

 

Here is the back clock works picture.
Found the pendulum and got it to swing for about 30 seconds each time before it makes a sudden stop.

I got the rest of the larger pieces in their respective places, still have a few little bits missing that I would have to make.

 

It has a countwheel strike on a coiled metal gong.
If it is wound up, the most probable reason for it not running is thst it is out of beat. When it is ticking, is the tick perfectly even? Search 'clock out of beat' for explanations and advice.

 

I'll have to research the clock works further.
Will have to locate a key.
I'm sure it could stand to be cleaned and oiled, had to do that to a Howard Miller grandfather clock that I got out of a locker a few years back...that was an interesting learning experience too.

 

Buy a key star or spider key on ebay or Amazon. Costs about the same as a single key and is usually all the keys you will ever need. It's not all that important if you buy odd or even sizes, makes no practical difference.

 

Thanks, got a star key coming....Actually 2 keys. 1 with odd numbers and 1 with even numbers to cover all the bases.
(Just when you think you have ALL the tools needed to get the job done)
I made a temporary plastic key, But it was too tight to try and wind it and I didn't want to break something....I figured it would be easy to wind SO I'm assuming it's already wound up.
Next step clean and oil.

 

The worthpoint item referenced above sold for $539.10.
Imagine shipping that!