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The top lot of the sale was this beautifully crafted tall case clock by Simon Willard, $57,500. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.v

Simon Willard tall-case clock chimes at $57,500 in Converse sale

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson

The top lot of the sale was this beautifully crafted tall case clock by Simon Willard, $57,500. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.v
The top lot of the sale was this beautifully crafted tall case clock by Simon Willard, $57,500. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

YORK, Pa. – A fine and beautifully crafted tall-case clock by the celebrated U.S. clockmaker Simon Willard (Mass., 1753-1848) changed hands for $57,500 at a sale of antique clocks and related horology items held June 18 by Gordon S. Converse & Co., of Strafford, Pennsylvania. The auction was held at the Yorktowne Hotel in York, Pa., near the York Fairgrounds.

Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Following are some additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.

A rare and fine set of twin clocks telling the world time and perpetual calendar by the Swiss firm Gubelin soared to $16,100 for the pair. The set, with its fine enameling and bold presentation, was one of only three pair produced in the 1950s. The set sold is the only one in the Western hemisphere. The clocks were in excellent shape, ready to grace a mall or hotel lobby.

A monumental clock depicting the Reims Cathedral topped out at $8,050; an assortment of English table (or bracket) clocks sold for prices ranging from $3,450 and $6,325 (all to buyers outside the U.S.); a rare 400-day clock garnered $1,092; and a small wooden wall timepiece by Vermont clockmaker Charles Alva Smith made $1,265.

An interesting picture frame clock, featuring an oil painting of a city in Austria whose town clock is set with a real chiming clock behind the picture, commanded $1,322.50; and an unusual battery-operated (and recently made) working orrery clock, with planets made from colorful minerals resembling the planets themselves, went to a determined bidder for $517.50.

A large Chelsea mantel clock fetched $1,610; several examples by New York City clockmaker Ferdinand Kroeber went for under $100 each; and a gold Tiffany lady’s wristwatch brought a seemingly reasonable $661.25. Also sold were American shelf clocks and French clocks, to include a wall clock by the master Berthoud; and a 19th-century Tiffany wall clock.

Gordon S. Converse & Co.’s next big sale is tentatively scheduled for sometime in August. Details will appear online at www.AuctionsatConverse.com. The sale will include prints and original art, pottery, porcelains, silver, silverplate and decorative accessories. It may be a “5-10-20” sale, with opening bids of just $5, $10 and $20.

Consignments are being accepted for this and all future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, call Gordon S. Converse & Co. directly, at 610-722-9004 or e-mail Gordon@ ConverseClocks.com. All e-mails are promptly acknowledged.

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

Pair of clocks telling the world time and perpetual calendar by Swiss maker Gubelin, $16,100. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
Pair of clocks telling the world time and perpetual calendar by Swiss maker Gubelin, $16,100. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

Late-19th-century wall clock by Chelsea, $805. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
Late-19th-century wall clock by Chelsea, $805. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

This wonderful early 18th-century bracket clock brought $4,600. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
This wonderful early 18th-century bracket clock brought $4,600. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

This Atmos clock fetched a surprising $1,265. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
This Atmos clock fetched a surprising $1,265. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

Late 18th- or early 19th-century French clock, $8,050. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
Late 18th- or early 19th-century French clock, $8,050. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.

Banjo clock signed Aaron Willard, $2,012.50. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.
Banjo clock signed Aaron Willard, $2,012.50. Image courtesy Gordon S. Converse.