Posted 4 months ago
ryaninPA
(1 item)
Hello,
I'm wondering the manufacture date of my great grandmother's Seth Thomas #99 mantle clock. It's a Westminster #124 movement.
Many thanks!
Ryan
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Hi, beautiful clock! My references show it to be from around circa 1928. The no. 124 was a workhorse of chime movements for Seth Thomas. Reliable and extensively used, Seth Thomas made them from the early 1920's up to around 1956 when they started outsourcing (or rather importing) German movements.
Bruce, I was hoping to hear from you and I can't thank you enough. I searched extensively on the web, but could only find one or two examples of the #99...and they contained limited information. My great grandmother's clock is in excellent working and cosmetic condition. I'm planning on having it serviced soon and I'm hoping that my family will continue to enjoy it for many more generations.
Thank you again,
Cheers,
Ryan
Bruce,
One more question: Is the dial silver? I know the cabinet wood is mahogany...but I read that similar clocks have silver on the clock face. Any thoughts you can give would be most appreciated.
Cheers,
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
You're very welcome. Yes, your heirloom has a "silvered" brass dial with raised, "bronzed" arabic numbers and matching bronzed serpentine hands....all original. Silvered dials should only be cleaned with very mild, non-abrasive soap. If and when needed, I usually apply dish wash detergent "suds" (like Dawn) with a very soft cloth and remove soap residue with a lightly damped soft cloth. The silvering finish is *very* thin and is easily damaged by over aggressive cleaning attempts. If you ever see silvered dials with shiny silver patches or yellow discoloration (brass starting to show through) you know that someone has damaged the finish. It should have a uniform low gloss, or flat finish. Try to avoid touching it as much as possible and be mindful when winding. It can be quite easily scratched up around the winding arbors.
Hope you and your family enjoy your great grandmother's clock for generations to come. It's obviously been well cared for. Thanks for sharing it with the CW Community.