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Three-Train Tower Clock by Seth Thomas

  • Remarkable in size and beauty, this three-train tower clock was created by the Seth Thomas firm
  • This is a rare example of a tower clock with a self-winding dead beat mechanism
  • In addition to this clock’s stunning movement and face, the chimes are remarkable
  • This rare feat of mechanical excellence is demonstrative of Thomas' refined craftsmanship
  • Get complete item description here
$198,500
Item No. 31-6424

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Description
This remarkable tower clock with a three-train, automatically winding movement was created by the Seth Thomas Clock Company, one of the world's most revered clockmakers. The timepiece is grand in both size and beauty. Featuring a combination of electronic and mechanical functions, the clock would have cost a client an incredible $4,000 in 1930 — a fortune today — before additional chimes and installation compensation. Only the most prestigious communities would have found it easy. . .
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This remarkable tower clock with a three-train, automatically winding movement was created by the Seth Thomas Clock Company, one of the world's most revered clockmakers. The timepiece is grand in both size and beauty. Featuring a combination of electronic and mechanical functions, the clock would have cost a client an incredible $4,000 in 1930 — a fortune today — before additional chimes and installation compensation. Only the most prestigious communities would have found it easy to raise the funds to purchase this rare feat of mechanical excellence.

The weights lower assisted by gravity and upon reaching the bottom of their travel, they are reset by an electric motor— there is no need for winding. The gravity remontoire is driven by the self-winding weights which provide power to the escapement wheel. Not to be outdone by its own electrical complexity, this remontoire has three separate systems— one for time, one for the hour chime, and one for the quarter hour time.

Born in Wolcott, Connecticut in 1785, Seth Thomas showed an early aptitude for hard work and intellectual curiosity. After apprenticing as a carpenter, he formed an association with the famed clockmaker Eli Terry and went on to purchase his own clock factory in 1813. This business soon prospered, both in part to Thomas’s refined craftsmanship and society’s growing need for accurate high-precision timepieces. All the more necessary in expanding industrial societies, the Seth Thomas company became the most prolific and dependable maker of high-precision tower clocks. By applying modern technology to centuries-old horological mechanisms, the Seth Thomas factory perfected the tower clocks on which railroad companies, churches, towns and institutions all around the world were dependent.

This clock is pictured in the Seth Thomas catalogue

Circa 1925

Clock: 102 1/2" high x 44 3/4" wide x 23 1/2" deep
Chimes: 72 5/8" high x 17 3/8" wide x 5 3/4" deep
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Three-Train Tower Clock by Seth Thomas
Period: 20th Century
Origin: America
Type: Other
Depth: 23.5 Inches
Width: 44.75 Inches
Height: 102.5 Inches
Buy with Confidence

At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.

Learn More

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