Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2017 | Page 63

Island Auction Rooms
THE LONGCASE CLOCK
The longcase clock, also known as the
grandfather clock after the popular Victorian
song, was the product of two pan-European
horological breakthroughs of the late 1650s –
the application of the pendulum clock and the
invention of the so-called anchor escapement.
First used in clock making by the Dutchman
Christiaan Huygens in 1656, the pendulum
made for near frictionless time-keeping, while it
was the anchor mechanism (probably invented
around the same time by British scientist Robert
Hooke) that reduced the swing and improved
accuracy.
The need to protect the movement within a
high case to house the heavy dri ve weights, and
soon afterwards a long pendulum that beat
once every second, led to a style of clock that remained popular
for more than two centuries.
There are a few variations of the Longcase clock, the 30
hour, the 8-day, the month going, the six month and year
going, this relates to how often you have to wind them up.
The year going Longcase is rather rare, and Island Auction
Rooms sold a very rare example by Daniel Quare for
£240,000, setting a new UK record.
Warren
Riches:
Ask an expert!
AUCTION REPORT
Well 2016 is now a distant memory, full of the usual varied
and interesting sales all of our customers are used to.
With the variation of antiques & collectables each
month, mixed in with off-site sales with anything from
a tractor to a classic car, the auction business is still as
popular as ever and 2017 will be no different.
With sterling being at a low, and interest rates very low,
the global selling power of the internet is even more
important than ever. Island Auction Rooms use the latest
live bidding technology and spend ten days after every
auction posting all around the world.
ISLAND AUCTION ROOMS
Chess Set Tag Watch Binoculars
Sold for over £4,800 Sold for over £1,100 Sold for over £1,450
Painting Silver Cup Sword
Sold for over £1,450 Sold for over £1,200 Sold for over £2,350
A cavalry officers sword
We are now
accepting
consignments
for our
specialist sales
of antiques &
collectables,
paintings, silver,
jewellery and
fine furniture
Island Auction
Rooms,
79 Regent St,
Shanklin,
PO37 7AP
Telephone:
01983 863441
www.visitilife.com
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