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Lot 87Ф,TP,Y
A good late 19th century mahogany floor-standing General Post Office regulator P.O. 1 A, movement numbered 653
13 July 2023, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £2,304 inc. premium
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A good late 19th century mahogany floor-standing General Post Office regulator
P.O. 1 A, movement numbered 653
The arched case with silvered sight ring and brass plaque engraved P.O 1, a further ivory plaque engraved A above the glazed door displaying the wooden rod pendulum with cylindrical brass bob and engraved regulating nut, passing above a silvered regulating scale and brass inscription plaque reading Presented to Ray Clarke on his retirement from British Telecom on 31st January 1988 by the Materials Executive Management Board, supported on a panelled base with button feet. The silvered 12.5-inch dial with outer Arabic minute track enclosing the recessed subsidiary dials for Observatory style Arabic seconds (hand lacking) and Roman hours. The substantial single-barrel weight driven movement protected from dust by a wooden cover, the thick plates united by five heavy turned pillars and secured to the seatboard via three large L-shaped brackets, the deadbeat escapement with fine screw beat adjustment to the long crutch and Harrison's maintaining power and a dead-beat escapement, the backplate with terminals for wiring to a previous electrical impulse system, the front plate stamped 653 X. Ticking with a case key, a winding key and a brass cased weight. 187cms (6ft 1.5ins) high
The arched case with silvered sight ring and brass plaque engraved P.O 1, a further ivory plaque engraved A above the glazed door displaying the wooden rod pendulum with cylindrical brass bob and engraved regulating nut, passing above a silvered regulating scale and brass inscription plaque reading Presented to Ray Clarke on his retirement from British Telecom on 31st January 1988 by the Materials Executive Management Board, supported on a panelled base with button feet. The silvered 12.5-inch dial with outer Arabic minute track enclosing the recessed subsidiary dials for Observatory style Arabic seconds (hand lacking) and Roman hours. The substantial single-barrel weight driven movement protected from dust by a wooden cover, the thick plates united by five heavy turned pillars and secured to the seatboard via three large L-shaped brackets, the deadbeat escapement with fine screw beat adjustment to the long crutch and Harrison's maintaining power and a dead-beat escapement, the backplate with terminals for wiring to a previous electrical impulse system, the front plate stamped 653 X. Ticking with a case key, a winding key and a brass cased weight. 187cms (6ft 1.5ins) high
Footnotes
Provenance:
This clock was presented to Ray Clarke, the vendor's father, on his retirement from The General Post Office in 1988. He joined the institution (later known as British Telecom or BT) at their Studd Street premises in 1950. By the time of his retirement, he was based at Euston Tower and was the last holder of the title Head of Supplies. This precision timepiece had by that stage become obsolete, but earlier on in the century would have played a critical role in the organisation. The 'A' plaque intimates that it was likely part of a pair, and may well have been in use from new, if so, this is the first time it will have been available on the open market.