LANTERN CLOCKS – RESTORED.

Lantern clocks were the earliest domestic clocks available to the general public. This type of clock was a development from the earlier “chamber clocks”which were only affordable by the “ruling class” of society.
Lantern clocks were produced by almost all Western European countries and Japan in the 17 -18th Centuries. Initially with foliot and balance wheel controlled verge escapements, the application of the pendulum in the 1656 saw the beginning of short pendulum verge clocks followed by anchor escapements and long pendulums. Most of the early foliot and balance wheel clocks were converted to pendulum for better timekeeping. The last lantern clocks had large dials and long pendulums so the installation of such clocks in a wall hanging wooden case gave the “hooded wall clock” followed by the floor standing wooden cased “longcase clock”.
The defining feature of a “lantern” clock is that the time, strike and/or alarm wheel work are behind each other, ie. perpendicular to the dial, as opposed to the more common beside each other.
1.English lantern clock, centre swing pendulum, by John Gibson of Ongar, Essex c.1695
2. Japanese lantern clock, single foliot, all iron movement. c. 1750.
3. French lantern clock, cartouche dial, made by Parmentier a la Fray, c.1760
4. French miniature lantern clock, cartouche dial, Paris made c. 1740
5. Italian lantern clock, made by Lorenzo Riviera, c.1720.
6. Italian lantern clock, made by Andreas Guarna, Gallipolli. c. 1765
7. Japanese miniature lantern clock, cow tail pendulum,made by Tadauki of Nanki, c.1820
8. Japanese lantern clock, double foliot escapement, c.1820
9. Southern German lantern clock, all iron construction, c. 1667
10. French miniature alarm lantern clock, made by Guery of Paris, c.1720
11. English miniature alarm lantern, c.1700
A very small and very rare midget English traveling alarm lantern clock, c.1700, shown here alongside a standard size French carriage clock..
The clock’s overall height is only 7 3/4 inches or 197mm.
12. French mini alarm lantern clock, c.1730.
13. Italian miniature lantern clock, c.1730.
As found in Bologna. Front restored.
14. Japanese kake dokei, the smallest lantern clock ever?
Time and strike with a single foliot.
15. Italian travelling alarm lantern. The smallest ever ?
16. My current lantern clock restoration is an English balance wheel miniature time, strike and alarm clock made by Mathew Crockford of Shew Lane , London, c.1660
This clock was missing many parts but it had never been subjected to conversion to short bob verge or anchor escapement. It is being restored with extreme faithfulness to the original even so far as to source old metal of the period to use for part production.
17. An Southern German renaissance spring driven, time and strike movement re-worked to a lantern clock, c.1600
When purchased the clock was in a very dirty, but operational condition. Hidden under the grime and a layer of orange lacquer was a silver dial, iron frame and a mix of iron and brass wheels.
Now fitted with a short pendulum verge escapement there is positive evidence that it was originally fitted with a balance controlled escapement.
The time train winds from the front and the strike train from the rear.
The fixed , spring barrels are finely engraved in a foliate design.
18. A French time , hour and quarter striking lantern clock. Made by Monsieur Loret of Tinchebray, Normandy, France, c. 1750.
A full restoration of a large lantern clock. The Going train was missing hence this was completely rebuilt and the crown wheel and verge escapement re-instated.
19. A French midget time and alarm lantern clock. c.1720
There very little of this clock remaining but enough to allow a full restoration of movement and case. Aging of the new parts was undertaken to have the entire finished clock of a similar patination.