Antique 15½” Mahogany Railway Station / School Round Wall Clock by West End Watch Co. (Chiming)

Summary:
• Item: Railway / School Wall Clock
• West End Watch Co.
• Circa: 1920 – 1930
• 15½” external diameter
• Quality double brass barrel spring mechanism
• Chiming / Striker mechanism
• Chimes on the ½ hour & full hour
• French polished mahogany case
• Ebony style finish
• Side viewing windows
• Original black Arabic numeral face
• Pendulum access door
• Brass bezel
• Elegant shaped hands
• Ivory colour tin dial
• Winding key
• Detachable adjustable pendulum
• Restored & serviced
• 2 Year UK warranty included
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14 days UK returns policy

Description:
This is a fine quality antique 15½” West End Watch Co. mahogany station chiming / striker wall clock, which has been lovingly restored to its former glory and is now in good working order as can been seen from the photos.

This clock features a beautiful dark mahogany case, with a moulded brass bezel, a pendulum access door on the underside and a glass-viewing door on either side that allows you to view the mechanism whilst in operation. The mahogany case has been French polished to a dark ebony style colour. This clock features a “deep dish” case design which means that case is of better quality and is slightly deeper in depth than the 16” clocks. On the back of the clock is a bracket to attach the clock to the wall.

This clock houses a genuine and top quality twin brass barrel spring driven chiming mechanism. The clock chimes once on the half hour and also every hour to the number of hours. The left hand hole in the dial face is to wind up the clock movement and the right hand hole is to wind up the chiming movement. This design gives you the option of either having the chiming mechanism enabled or disabled; allowing you to choose whether you want the chiming noise to be heard.

The movement has been restored and serviced and is now in good mechanical order, ensuring this clock is reliable and keeps good time. The pendulum length, which is attached to the mechanism by accessing the clock from the door below, can be adjusted to allow you to regulate the speed of the clock. The clock comes with a key, which is used to wind the mechanism through the centre of the face dial.

This clock face features an ivory colour tin dial with black Arabic numerals and elegant shaped hour and minute hand. A hinged solid brass bezel houses the glass face that protects the tin dial and face whilst in operation. The brass bezel opens on a right hand hinge to allow you to adjust or set the time. There is a catch to the back of the clock that locks the brass bezel in place and stops it from accidentally swinging open.

This chiming wall clock looks great in a variety of rooms from and also in either a traditional or contemporary setting. This truly is a very beautiful wall clock of classic styling and quality construction. It will become a member of the family after not too long! So don’t miss out your chance to own a lovely clock.

Provenance:
The West End Watch Company was established in 1886 by Arnold Amstutz and Constant Droz, and has produced over 15 million watches to date. Although the company takes its name from London’s West End, it has always been based in Switzerland.

One of The West End Watch Company’s first achievements was the development of the first ever waterproof pocket watch, known as ‘L’Impermeable’, in the latter part of the 19th Century.

Around the same time, the company trademark was taken to the Indian market with great success, becoming the standard supplier of clocks and watches for many of India’s railway companies, leading them to become a household name in India. This continued from the latter part of the 19th Century, until the 1980s. They were also a standard supplier for major Indian government departments. During the First World War they supplied watches to British and Indian soldiers headed for Mesopotamia (now modern-day Iraq).

The company changed its name in 1917, to Société des Montres West End SA, registered to Geneva, and also created the sub-brand Sowar. The Sowar name, taken from a type of Indian cavalry man, was chosen in honour of Sir Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, as it is believed he and his men wore West End Watch Company watches during their campaign.

In 1934, the Société des Montres West End SA became the first brand to introduce the Incabloc anti-shock system, a spring-loaded mounting system designed to protect the mechanisms of watches if dropped.

Due to lack of heirs, the company was sold in 1973 to its main supplier, Aubry Brothers Ltd in Noirmont, in order to keep the Bombay West End Watch Company’s offices open.

In the early 2000s, the company’s workshops and head office relocated to Leytron, where they remain to this day. The West End Watch Company continues to be active in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and western China.

This chiming wall clock was designed for use in public buildings such as schools or railway stations within the British colonies; therefore its reliability and quality of construction were paramount. This clock is of very good quality and it was constructed prior to wartime restrictions being imposed regarding materials; therefore no costs were spared in its construction.

Condition Report:
This chiming wall clock has been sympathetically restored to a high standard and is now in good working order. Nominal old use marks to the case and tin dial but nothing significant considering the age of the item. The mahogany case is in good condition. The mahogany case has been French polished. The clock retains its original painted tin dial. The brass-hinged bezel is in good working order, with some movement in the hinge. The bezel-locking latch is present and working and prevents the bezel from opening. The mechanism is original; it has been cleaned and serviced and is in good working order, keeping good time. As we are confident that you will have no problems with the mechanism, we offer a 2-year UK warranty whereby if there were a mechanical problem with the clock, we would collect it free of charge from you, have it repaired and returned free of charge to you. We also offer a 14-day UK returns policy if you were not happy with it or wanted to return it for any reason. Please also note, this clock has the original mechanism; it has not been replaced with a cheaper devaluing electrical battery operated kit that you see on some clocks.

Setting up the Clock:
The clock may require the pendulum to be adjusted once on the wall. The clock will only work if it is placed on a flat wall in a direct up-right position (not on a side angle). Detailed setup instructions will be included when the clock is delivered.

Dimensions:
External Diameter = 15½”
Painted Dial Diameter = 12″
Depth = 5½”

Terms & Conditions:
Before you purchase this item, please ensure you have read and are in agreement with our Terms & Conditions of Sale. If you have any questions regarding our Terms & Conditions of Sale, please contact us to discuss them, before purchasing this item.

Ref. STR409