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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Bracket clock

Mappin & Webb English Arch Top Bracket Clock

Partially verified

This late nineteenth-century English bracket clock features a Honduran mahogany case fashioned with an arched crest, fluted canted corners, and a molded plinth raised on bracket feet. The arched silvered dial plate is decorated with an engraved foliate scroll mask framing a primary dial with Roman numerals and pierced serpentine hands along with three winding apertures. The upper arch displays two subsidiary dials for chime/silent selection and regulation rate. According to the seller, the clock is signed by Mappin & Webb, London, and houses an eight-day, three-train fusée movement striking quarter-hours on tuned gongs.

Front view of the mahogany arch-top bracket clock showing the engraved dial and subsidiary registers
Front view of the mahogany arch-top bracket clock showing the engraved dial and subsidiary registers — Renaissance Antiques. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.renaissanceantiques.com
Category
Clock · Bracket clock
Maker / attribution
Mappin & Webb
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
ICAL 5 P
Source-reported date
Circa 1885
Country
United Kingdom

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Attribution

The clock is listed as an English bracket clock dated to circa 1885 and attributed to Mappin & Webb of London. In visible frontal observation, the center of the primary dial is faintly signed 'MAPPIN & WEBB LONDON'.

The dealer description states that the timepiece was crafted and signed by the London jeweler. Contextual trade practices regarding third-party movement makers are not detailed in the source text.

Evidence for this section
  • “This wonderful English bracket clock was crafted and is signed by the prestigious London jeweler, Mappin & Webb.”
  • “Circa 1885”
  • “Signed 'MAPPIN & WEBB LONDON' faintly in the center of the primary dial”

Case Form and Details

The case is reported to measure 18 inches high, 12 inches wide, and 9 inches deep, crafted in Honduran mahogany with an arch top and a plinth base. Direct frontal observation shows reeded canted corners and metal bracket feet.

The source additionally describes 'beautifully carved side frets' and 'gilt bracket feet', as well as a glass rear door. These side frets and the rear door are not visible in the available frontal photograph and are recorded here solely on the basis of the seller's text.

Evidence for this section
  • “Expertly crafted in a Honduran mahogany case with an arch top, canted corners, beautifully carved side frets, and plinth base raised on gilt bracket feet.”
  • “18″H x 12″W x 9″D”
  • “Arched wooden case with reeded canted corners resting on metal bracket feet”

Dial and Configuration

Enclosed beneath a front beveled glass door, the face comprises a silvered dial mask engraved with foliate scrollwork surrounding a primary chapter ring. Visible observations record black Roman hour numerals, pierced serpentine hands, and three winding arbors.

The upper arch accommodates two subsidiary dials. According to the listing, these registers permit regulation of rate and selection between chime and silent.

Evidence for this section
  • “Beneath the front beveled glass door, the time displays on a sleek silvered dial with Roman numerals and serpentine hands.”
  • “Two subsidiary dials are situated in the arch enabling easy adjustments for chime or silent, and rate.”
  • “Further, the finely engraved silvered mask with foliate motif is terrifically appealing.”

Movement and Mechanical Notes

The listing reports an eight-day duration three-train fusée movement designed to strike quarter hours on tuned gongs. It also states that the mechanism and a finely engraved backplate can be seen through a glass door on the rear.

As only the front of the clock is pictured, the movement train, fusee assemblies, gongs, and backplate engraving are not visible in the provided imagery.

Evidence for this section
  • “Keeping the time for an 8-day duration is a 3-train fusée movement that marks the quarter hours on a set of tuned gongs.”
  • “A glass door on the rear allows visibility of some of the mechanisms as well as a finely engraved backplate.”

Open research questions

  • Does the unobserved backplate bear a serial number, maker marks, or a trade movement maker's stamp behind the Mappin & Webb dial signature?
  • What is the exact design and material of the carved side frets referenced in the listing?
  • How many gongs are utilized in the quarter-hour strike mechanism, and in what sequence do they sound?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Mappin & Webb English Arch Top Bracket Clock
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerMappin & Webb“signed by the prestigious London jeweler, Mappin & Webb.”
Movement Type3-train fusée movement“3-train fusée movement that marks the quarter hours on a set of tuned gongs.”
Case MaterialHonduran mahogany“crafted in a Honduran mahogany case with an arch top”
Dimensions18″H x 12″W x 9″D“18″H x 12″W x 9″D”
Approximate DateCirca 1885“Circa 1885”
SKUICAL 5 P“SKU: ICAL 5 P”
Front Door GlassBeveled glass“Beneath the front beveled glass door”
Dealer Warranty and Condition ClaimReported fully restored with one-year warranty“bears a full restoration and a one-year warranty.”

Visible details

  • Arched wooden case with reeded canted corners resting on metal bracket feet
  • Silvered dial mask filled with dense foliate scroll engraving
  • Two subsidiary dials in the arch for chime/silent selection and fast/slow regulation
  • Primary dial features black Roman hour numerals, three winding arbors, and dark pierced serpentine hands
  • Signed 'MAPPIN & WEBB LONDON' faintly in the center of the primary dial

Research qualifications

  • Movement and engraved backplate are not visible in the provided image
  • Carved side frets mentioned in the text are obscured from this frontal angle

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

English Arch Top Bracket Clock - Renaissance Antiques

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record fb60b099a5

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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