177-T-0306

SETH THOMAS "NAN" NOVELTY TIMEPIECE
INDEX # : 177-T-0306

circa: 1907-1910

CLOCK STYLE Novelty

CLOCK NAME Nan

MANUFACTURE

Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn.

Seth Thomas (1785-1859)

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE Brass, 30-hour, spring driven, lever escapement

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base = 4 ½", Height = 7 1/4", Depth = 2"
Spelter case in the Art Deco style with the original gold gilt finish, and a very nice patina. Clock is mounted on a piece of white marble.

LABEL INFORMATION No label - original.

DIAL INFORMATION

White enamel dial in excellent condition with black Arabic numerals, 2" dial with a 1 3/4" chapter ring. Dial is marked "Seth Thomas"

MISC. FEATURES

Flowers adorn the case on both the left and right sides, in the center is a bust of a woman. The timepiece has a very Art Deco look to it.

ACQUIRED FROM Mart table at the 2006 Lonestar Regional at the Mesquite Convention Center, Mesquite, TX.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED Running condition, small chip from right hand side of marble base. The marble base is not original to this timepiece, it originally had 4 legs which were broken off at some point in the past, and a previous repairman made the marble mount for the clock. Even though it is not original, it displays very nicely and unless you know what to look for, appears to have always been mounted like it is. At some point down the road, I may restore it to its original condition by fashioning new legs and refinishing the entire case.

RESTORATION N/A

HISTORICAL DATA

Seth Thomas's Case Factory c. 1885 in Thomaston, Conn.
Seth Thomas (1785-1859) apprenticed to Eli Terry. He along with Silas Hoadley worked for Terry from around 1807-1810 making wood tall case movements. This was the point in history were the mass production of clock movements started. Terry contracted to make 4,000 movements in three years, a feat which had never been accomplished before. Terry had introduced a method of using interchangeable parts to make these movements, an idea he had gotten from Eli Whitney. After the contract was fulfilled, he sold the business to Thomas and Hoadley who continued manufacturing the wood tall case movements. Thomas eventually bought out Hoadley's interest in the business, and began producing shelf clocks with Eli Terry's patented wood 30 hour shelf clock movement. Seth Thomas had an elaborate career making wood and brass movement shelf clocks, and his company became the most well known name in the clock business. In 1853 his company became the Seth Thomas Clock Co., and operated under this name until 1931 when it became a division of General Time Instrument Co. (Seth Thomas's Great Grandson was chairman of the board until he died in 1932). In 1949, The company became a division of General Time Corp. In 1970, became a division of Tally Industries, who still produces clocks with the Seth Thomas Trademark. The town of Plymouth Hollow, Conn. changed it's name to Thomaston in 1866 to honor the clock maker.

List price of this timepiece in 1909 was $3.70.

REFERENCES 1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - Identification and Price Guide" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996, page 342, figure 1346.

NOTES N/A

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CLOCK STYLE	Novelty
CLOCK NAME	Nan
MANUFACTURE	Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn. Seth Thomas (1785-1859)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	Brass, 30-hour, spring driven, lever escapement
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 4 ½", Height = 7 1/4", Depth = 2" Spelter case in the Art Deco style with the original gold gilt finish, and a very nice patina. Clock is mounted on a piece of white marble.
LABEL INFORMATION	No label - original.
DIAL INFORMATION	White enamel dial in excellent condition with black Arabic numerals, 2" dial with a 1 3/4" chapter ring. Dial is marked "Seth Thomas"
MISC. FEATURES	Flowers adorn the case on both the left and right sides, in the center is a bust of a woman. The timepiece has a very Art Deco look to it.
ACQUIRED FROM	Mart table at the 2006 Lonestar Regional at the Mesquite Convention Center, Mesquite, TX.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	Running condition, small chip from right hand side of marble base. The marble base is not original to this timepiece, it originally had 4 legs which were broken off at some point in the past, and a previous repairman made the marble mount for the clock. Even though it is not original, it displays very nicely and unless you know what to look for, appears to have always been mounted like it is. At some point down the road, I may restore it to its original condition by fashioning new legs and refinishing the entire case.
RESTORATION	N/A
HISTORICAL DATA Seth Thomas's Case Factory c. 1885 in Thomaston, Conn.	Seth Thomas (1785-1859) apprenticed to Eli Terry. He along with Silas Hoadley worked for Terry from around 1807-1810 making wood tall case movements. This was the point in history were the mass production of clock movements started. Terry contracted to make 4,000 movements in three years, a feat which had never been accomplished before. Terry had introduced a method of using interchangeable parts to make these movements, an idea he had gotten from Eli Whitney. After the contract was fulfilled, he sold the business to Thomas and Hoadley who continued manufacturing the wood tall case movements. Thomas eventually bought out Hoadley's interest in the business, and began producing shelf clocks with Eli Terry's patented wood 30 hour shelf clock movement. Seth Thomas had an elaborate career making wood and brass movement shelf clocks, and his company became the most well known name in the clock business. In 1853 his company became the Seth Thomas Clock Co., and operated under this name until 1931 when it became a division of General Time Instrument Co. (Seth Thomas's Great Grandson was chairman of the board until he died in 1932). In 1949, The company became a division of General Time Corp. In 1970, became a division of Tally Industries, who still produces clocks with the Seth Thomas Trademark. The town of Plymouth Hollow, Conn. changed it's name to Thomaston in 1866 to honor the clock maker. List price of this timepiece in 1909 was $3.70.
REFERENCES	1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - Identification and Price Guide" by Tran Duy Ly, 1996, page 342, figure 1346.
NOTES	N/A