Brass Chelsea Ship's Bell Clock. Two separate pieces, the clock and a wooden base upon which it rests. Includes key. Serial number 325224.
We cannot guarantee the working order of any timepiece.
Condition: Unknown if in working order.
Size: 9 x4 x 8 1/2 in.
#3732 .
Prior to 1880 Massachusetts-based Joseph Henry Eastman served as an apprentice watchmaker to Edward Howard, founder of E. Howard & Co. Eastman became one of the founders of Harvard Clock Company, which was granted a Massachusetts’ Certificate of Organization on November 20, 1880, starting as co-director alongside James H. Gerry. Within a year he had become the General Manager and the company had produced 800 clocks of marine, carriage, banjo, and shelf types. The Harvard Clock Company changed its name to Boston Clock Company in 1884, and in 1886 they began producing striking clocks after the invention of the Boston tandem wind movement. In 1894 they were bought out by the Ansonia Clock Company, and by 1896 Eastman had constructed a new factory in Chelsea, Massachusetts to continue innovating his designs, naming it Eastman Clock Company. Their marine, regular, and banjo clocks were appreciated for their finesse immediately, but Eastman fell into bankruptcy within one year due to poor economic planning. In 1897, after a confusing series of acquisitions and mergers, Charles Pearson, a native Bostonian, created the Chelsea Clock Company, utilizing the property, tools, and machinery that Eastman had designed. Starting around 1900 their ship’s bell clocks became extremely popular, with all work on those and their pendulum model clocks taking place in house to generate more revenue. The United States Navy began ordering their marine clocks in increasing quantities, leading other military branches to follow their lead. In 1907 and 1908 the U.S. Treasury Department ordered more than 100 clocks for its offices throughout the country. This motivated Pearson to establish the Boston Clock Company, essentially a separate brand for clocks and related instruments the company manufactured specifically to meet government standards. In 1928 Pearson died following a brief illness, and his protege William Neagle, who had worked for him for 26 years, bought the company. Neagle was quick to replace less popular models with new ones, including the Forecaster, Fulton, and Georgian. Shortly after he assumed ownership, however, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression led to drastic inventory and cost reductions to keep Chelsea afloat. When World War II began, Chelsea’s role as a government supplier helped offset declining consumer sales. Neagle retired in 1945, selling the company to longtime employees George King and Walter Mutz. In 1946 the United States Air Force created its Strategic Air Command (SAC) and equipped each of its bombers and nuclear missile silos with Chelsea clocks. Mutz noted a growing demand for electric clocks and introduced Chelsea’s Model VE in 1947, as well as consumer versions of their most popular military clocks as discharged soldiers sought the same level of quality in their day-to-day lives after service. In 1970 Chelsea Clock was sold to Automation Industries, where Chelsea became part of the marine division. German-made Hermle movements became popular, so they created the Boston Ship’s Strike brand to distinguish them from its premium clocks. In 1972 Automation sold Chelsea to Bunker Ramo Corporation, who in turn sold them to Boston entrepreneur Richard Leavitt in 1978. By 1984 the popularity of quartz and digital timekeeping technology led Chelsea to introduce its Chronoquartz clock, named for its chronometer-like accuracy, but by then government contracts had moved to newer companies, leaving the future of the business in doubt. In 2005 Leavitt sold the company to JK Nicholas, an investor in Boston Scientific and a business consultant, entrepreneur, and longtime collector of Chelsea clocks. In 2015 the original Chelsea Clock factory was demolished for urban renewal, and today much of Chelsea’s production follows the 18th Century “cottage industry” model where pieces are made in various locations and brought together under the main company roof for final assembly, with one small workshop in Chelsea remaining.
Condition
Unknown if in working order.
