You are bidding on a near mint Adamantine Mantle clock manufactured by the Seth Thomas Clock Co. around 1915. The model name of the clock is the DING DONG #1. The clock strikes a ding-dong pattern on 2 tuned bells. This is a wonderful example of the classic time and strike mantle clocks popular around the turn of the century. This is a really nice clock that is ready to be enjoyed for years to come, it is the nicest example of a DING DONG strike that I have seen!
The case:
The case is covered with beautiful rosewood adamantine veneer. Seth Thomas is well known for their “Adamantine” mantel clocks, which were made starting in 1882. Adamantine is a celluloid veneer, glued to the wood case. Adamantine veneer was made in black and white, and in colored patterns such as wood grain, onyx and marble. Adamantine veneer was developed by the Celluloid Manufacturing Company of New York City, and was covered by U.S. Patent number 232,037, dated September 7, 1880. Seth Thomas Clock Company purchased the right to use the Adamantine veneer in 1881. The case on this clock has been carefully cleaned and polished and returned as closely to the original look as possible. The finish is completely original and shines almost as if it were wet, a beautiful finish for being nearly 100 years old! The bezel has been polished back to it's original sheen and has been coated to prevent tarnish. The face of the clock is nearly perfect Often these faces are badly stained because the celluloid coat over the face traps in moisture and causes staining, this face, however, is almost stain free. The key and the weight are original to the clock. The clock is 11” high, 12" wide and 6” deep. The date stamp on the bottom of the clock indicates that it was made in June 1915.
The movement:
The movement is the popular and durable Seth Thomas 89 movement, the workhorse of the Seth Thomas mantle clock line for many decades and possibly the finest 8 day 2 train movement ever produced. These old movements are practically indestructible and run for decades at a time with a minimum of maintenance. This movement has been ultrasonically cleaned in proper solution, inspected, cleaned and polished by hand, and new bushings installed in worn pivot holes. The movement was lubricated with fine clock oil and put into proper beat. The result is a movement that runs nearly as strongly and accurately as the day it was made. The clock strikes the hours in a ding-dong pattern once for each hour at the top of the hour with a single bell strike on the half hour. The strike is on a set of tuned patented Sonora bells and resonating chambers, it produces a unique sound that cannot be duplicated by today's electronic chips and plastic movements.
As a point of reference, if you took this clock to a repair shop to have the repairs done on the movement that have been done to this one, you would easily spend $150 for the service.
Please feel free to email me if you have questions. If you are the winning bidder for this beautiful timepiece and need help with setup or have any questions after you receive the clock, I will gladly help. I have sold dozens of restored antique clocks on Ebay and have never had a negative or neutral feedback on any of them.