032-T-0392

SETH THOMAS OCTAGON TOP TIMEPIECE
INDEX # : 032-T-0392

circa: 1868-1872

CLOCK STYLE Cottage Clock

CLOCK NAME Octagon Top

MANUFACTURE

Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn.

Seth Thomas (1785-1859)

CASE MODEL # N/A

MOVEMENT TYPE

R Type horseshoe movement, Brass, spring (steel) driven, hour strike on cathedral gong, 30-hour.

CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION Base = 7 ¼", Height = 9 ¼", Depth = 3 ¾"

LABEL INFORMATION

Type "T-03". Original in excellent condition:
"Made and Sold by / Seth Thomas / Thomaston / Connecticut / Warranted Good"

DIAL INFORMATION

Paper dial with black roman numerals (appears to be replacement). Dial glass is 4" x 4" and is cut in the shape of an octagon, eight wood strips hold it in place. The dial is paper pasted over a zinc dial pan. Has a 3 1/2" chapter ring.

MISC. FEATURES Looking glass in bottom of door is 4" x 3/4" and is held in place by two wood strips. Bottom of case is rounded, dial has a wood bezel. Penciled in on inside of door is jeweler's mark "EY 10-3-47".

ACQUIRED FROM "Ziegler's in the Country" Antique shop, Hershey, PA.

CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED Timepiece in running order, case in excellent condition.

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.

REFERENCES 1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - A Guide to Identification and Prices". Tran Duy Ly 1985, page 93
2. "Clock Identification and Price Guide - Book 2" by Roy Erhardt., page 55.
3. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - A Guide to Identification and Prices" by Tran Duy Ly 1996. Clock on page 266, figure 959, page 432, figure 1584. Movement on page 432, figure 1586
4. "Seth Thomas 9" Cottage Clocks 1852-1898" by Owen H. Burt (created from NAWCC Bulletin reprints from 1998, three separate articles combined into book for Great lakes Regional).

NOTES N/A

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CLOCK STYLE	Cottage Clock
CLOCK NAME	Octagon Top
MANUFACTURE	Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn. Seth Thomas (1785-1859)
CASE MODEL #	N/A
MOVEMENT TYPE	R Type horseshoe movement, Brass, spring (steel) driven, hour strike on cathedral gong, 30-hour.
CASE SIZE & CONSTRUCTION	Base = 7 ¼", Height = 9 ¼", Depth = 3 ¾"
LABEL INFORMATION	Type "T-03". Original in excellent condition: "Made and Sold by / Seth Thomas / Thomaston / Connecticut / Warranted Good"
DIAL INFORMATION	Paper dial with black roman numerals (appears to be replacement). Dial glass is 4" x 4" and is cut in the shape of an octagon, eight wood strips hold it in place. The dial is paper pasted over a zinc dial pan. Has a 3 1/2" chapter ring.
MISC. FEATURES	Looking glass in bottom of door is 4" x 3/4" and is held in place by two wood strips. Bottom of case is rounded, dial has a wood bezel. Penciled in on inside of door is jeweler's mark "EY 10-3-47".
ACQUIRED FROM	"Ziegler's in the Country" Antique shop, Hershey, PA.
CONDITION WHEN ACQUIRED	Timepiece in running order, case in excellent condition.
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.
REFERENCES	1. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - A Guide to Identification and Prices". Tran Duy Ly 1985, page 93 2. "Clock Identification and Price Guide - Book 2" by Roy Erhardt., page 55. 3. "Seth Thomas Clocks and Movements - A Guide to Identification and Prices" by Tran Duy Ly 1996. Clock on page 266, figure 959, page 432, figure 1584. Movement on page 432, figure 1586 4. "Seth Thomas 9" Cottage Clocks 1852-1898" by Owen H. Burt (created from NAWCC Bulletin reprints from 1998, three separate articles combined into book for Great lakes Regional).
NOTES	N/A