Grandfather clock

Clockmaker: Wenzel Balke
Date: Prague ca. 1845
Measurements: H 206 cm
Signature: Wenzel Balke in Prague

Description duration: 190 days. A most unusual and elegant floor standing clock.
The case of cherry wood has an angled top with ebonised detail. The main trunk of the case has a full length glazed front door with two glass sections separated by a thin carcase member below the dial. There are ebonised Corinthian capitals to the canted sides of the door and decorative ebonised moulds from top to bottom. The base has a separate panel in the centre, again with ebonised moulds to its edge and it stands on a separate plinth, again with ebonised decorative moulds. The canted corners continue into the base.

The dial of the clock is skeletonised and consists of an enamel chapter ring with a separate enamelled chapter ring for the seconds dial. The main dial is set within a gilded engine turned bezel and has a further engine turned inner bezel. The seconds ring has very small inner and outer engine turned rings.

The year duration movement is highly unusual and has finely crossed wheel work in the form of crossed out hollow stars. The majority of the wheels have end stops to the arbors and both the front plate and back plate are skeletonised. The main barrel protrudes from the back of the movement to give the number of turns required for the long duration. It has a deadbeat escapement and maintaining power. The pendulum consists of three glass rods. Glass has a very low coefficient of expansion and therefore gives some compensation for changes in temperature.