Clock type · Domestic
Lantern Clocks
VerifiedEarly English brass-framed weight-driven wall clocks, originally regulated by a balance wheel and verge escapement and later commonly converted to pendulum regulation.
Movement & mechanism
- Iron or brass posted-frame movement, open on all sides in the earliest form
- Balance-wheel-and-verge escapement originally; frequently converted to a short bob or anchor pendulum after c. 1660
- Single weight (time only) or twin weights (time and strike) suspended on ropes or chains
- Alarm mechanism common on domestic examples
Identification
- Distinctive brass-framed, bell-topped case shape resembling a lantern
- Signs of pendulum conversion (an added arch or bracket at the rear) versus an untouched original balance-wheel escapement
- Iron hoop and spur alarm work, where fitted, on the front of the movement
Terminology
- Posted-frame movement — a movement built on four corner pillars ('posts') rather than plates
- Balance-wheel escapement — the horizontal oscillating-wheel regulator preceding widespread pendulum use in England
Known variations
- Balance-wheel (unconverted) lantern clock
- Pendulum-converted lantern clock
- Alarm lantern clock
Collecting notes
Unconverted (original balance-wheel) lantern clocks are considerably scarcer and more highly regarded than pendulum-converted survivors, which make up the majority of the surviving population.
Photographs
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Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.