A fine quality George III flame mahogany domestic regulator longcase clock by Recordon, Late Emerys of London c.1805

Maker: Louis Recordon 1778-1817 (active)
Date: 1805
Height: 226cm / 89" with the finial
Width: 51cm / 20"
Depth: 23cm / 9"
Price: £7,500

Case

The high quality case of excellent proportions, very much in the style employed by the finest makers of the late Georgian period, often referred to as a Fleet Street style case. Veneered in beautifully figured flame mahogany, with a solid oak carcass.

The break arch hood surmounted by a single moulded pedestal with brass ball finial, below canted corners flanking the glazed door with the original lock and key. The hood sides with glazed rectangular movement viewing windows.

The razor edge moulded long trunk door with the finest curled mahogany veneers, the original lock/key and brass hinges to the trunk door.

Moulded panel to the base with London style double plinth.

A superb example of a high quality Georgian London longcase, with an excellent patination and colour.

Dial

The finely executed twelve inch break arch silvered and engraved brass dial with Roman and Arabic chapter ring, signed Recordon, Late Emerys, London, to the centre.

Subsidiary strike/silent dial to the arch and subsidiary seconds dial.

Movement

The eight day weight driven movement of the highest quality, united by five turned and knopped pillars with Harrison's maintaining power and deadbeat escapement, striking the hours on a single bell.

The movement is fully restored by our horologist who works exclusively for us.
Our horologist is a Fellow of the British Horological Institute (FBHI), having 35 years of full time professional engagement in the repair & restoration of clocks, watches, music boxes & barometers. He was the recipient of the 1977 Worshipful Company of Clockmakers Bronze Medal.

Hands

Finely fretted blued steel hands.

Weights, pendulum and key

The original brass cased lead weights and steel rod pendulum with heavy brass bob and large regulation nut.

The original winding key

Maker

Louis Recordon 1778-1817 (active)

The Swiss-born clock and watchmaker Louis Recordon whose first workshop was established in Greek Street, Soho, London (1780) and 33 Cockspur Street, London (until 1810).

In 1805 Recordon took over the workshop of the eminent Swiss watchmaker Josiah Emery, the first watchmaker to use the lever escapement after Thomas Mudge.

Recordon is chiefly famous for his patent for a pedometer for winding watches in 1780. This was the world’s first self-winding watch mechanism and the forerunner of modern self-winding watch mechanisms.

He also acted as the London agent for the Parisian maker Abraham-Louis Breguet, the leading continental horologist of the time.

The Royal Collection has a watch by Recordon that belonged to George III.