Bonhams 1793 : An historically interesting short duration weight driven centre seconds Regulator movement with possible connection to Professor Ludlam John Hackings

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12 Dec 2012 14:00 GMT London, New Bond Street
Fine Clocks
Back to auction 19809

An historically interesting short duration weight driven centre seconds Regulator movement with possible connection to Professor Ludlam

John Hackings
The substantial plates measuring 4mm in thickness, united by four heavy turned knopped pillars, with wheels of six crossings, the deadbeat escapement with substantial crutch to a wooden rod pendulum with heavy lenticular bob and engraved octagonal rating nut, the 6.5 inch one piece silvered dial signed in the uppermost half in copperplate script John Hackings fecit and engraved to each corner with foliate scrolls framing the full-size seconds dial, the Roman hours shown in a shaped aperture above the subsidiary dial for Arabic minutes, now contained in an associated oak case The dial 6.5inches square

Sold for £2,500 inc. premium

Footnotes

Literature: Darken and Hooper, English 30-hour clocks, Penita Books, 1997, p 193.

Darken and Hooper describe this clock in some detail, with a full train count and also comment that the front bush for the cenre seconds arbor is removable and held in place by three screws. The point is also made that while John Hackings is not recorded by Baillie or Loomes, he is recorded by Britten as a maker of tools for Professor Ludlam.

Ludlam was a member of the Board of Longitude and wrote on Hackings
"all my best tools were made by him and has worked for me constantly since mid summer 1753 Whatever has been done by him may be depended upon."

A similar heavy pendulum by Hackings is illustrated in Robinson, The Longcase Clock, ACC, p 298, fig 10/22. As well as a starwheel and spring loaded jumper, this clock has Professor Ludlams name as instructor engraved on the backplate.

Category: Clocks and Watches / Clocks

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