M C Taylor Clocks

Description

A very small and superb quality, mahogany chiming longcase clock by Edward Funnell of Brighton. Circa 1865.

Rarely does such a gem of a clock become available.

The extremely substantial and high quality, 8 day duration, weight driven 3 train movement with Anchor Recoil escapement and rack striking the hours on a top-mounted bell and the quarter hours on a graduated, nest of 8 bells also top-mounted. Also having speed adjustment to the rear-mounted quarter fan and chime/silent operated from the dial. The backplate is engraved with the maker's name and place.

Behind a substantially made, 8” wide, brass break-arch dial with cast brass spandrels to the corners and arch. The arch also has an engraved and silvered chime/silent chapter ring with silvering to the centre. The dial square has an engraved and silvered chapter ring with outer and inner rings encompassing outer Arabic 5’s, divided minute track and inner Roman hour numerals. The engraved and silvered centre has floral swags and the makers name “Ed(ward) Funnell, BRIGHTON” arched across the top. The three hands are pierced and blacked.

Contained in a superb and substantial, late London-style mahogany case. The break-arch sliding hood has a full-size glazed door that is flanked with fluted and reeded pillars with brass capitals, the rear ears have quarter pillars also with brass capitals The sides have cloth-backed, arched, fish scale brass sound frets. The trunk throat sits over a full-size locking break-arch door that is proud with edge moulding and of superb figuring. The trunk corners have conforming fluted and reeded quarter pillars with brass capitals. The base has a well-figured and raised panel with scalloped corners and edge moulding and has a double 'London plinth' with a shaped lower edge, incorporating feet.

This clock is of good colour and patina and is of diminutive size. The quality is ‘superior’.

Biography: Edward Funnell was a clock and watchmaker. Born in 1822 he is known to have exhibited what was described as 'The smallest watch in the world' which was only 7/16" in diameter (11.112 mm) and 1/8" thick (3.175 mm) with ten jewelled bearing holes and five other ruby actions. He exhibited the same watch in the 1855 Paris Exhibition where he was awarded an 'honourable mention' for it, and at the same exhibition he also showed carriage clocks. At the other end of the scale, he is also known to have installed turret clocks in a number of public buildings and churches, including Newick, Chailey and Winkleigh in Devon. He died in 1889.