Garrard phonos and clocks

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gregbogantz
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Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by gregbogantz »

Since the topic of the Garrard Super spring motor has been brought up and the item admired, I am wondering how many of you might also have a Garrard spring-wound clock or two. They were made in the same Swindon, Wiltshire works that made the phono products and were made from about 1931 to just after WWII. I was totally unaware of the clocks until I started collecting phonos and got to researching the older Garrard products. To my knowledge, the clocks were not marketed in the USA which is part of the reason I had never heard of them. But a few now show up on eBay in the USA and more of them in Europe. I have since acquired several of the mantel-style pendulum models with triple-train works (chime and strike as well as clock springs) and a few of the later balance wheel models that feature the tripe-chime works. These clocks are beautifully made, quite robust in construction, and work very well after they are cleaned, lubed, and adjusted. The single chime models feature the Westminster chime that sounds on all the quarter hours as well as striking on the hour. The triple-chime models also include the Winchester and the Whittington tunes. I had never heard the Winchester chime until I got one of these clocks. This chime apparently was featured only on British-made clocks as I have never seen it on a German or American clock. It's an unusual 6-note sequence, quite different from the 4-note sequence of the Westminster and the 8-note sequence of the Whittington. These triple-chime clocks use eight chime rods compared with the Westminster-only models that have only 5 chime rods. The Garrards are also unusual in that they use bronze chime rods rather than copper or steel rods. The bronze provides a deeper register tone than can be had from copper or steel of the same length. Very nice clocks. I recommend looking into them if you're a clock fancier.
Collecting moss, radios and phonos in the mountains of WNC.

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mjbramham
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by mjbramham »

I was not aware of this. Do you have any photos of yours? I have an HAC Westminster chime mantel clock from the '20s but don't recall seeing many Garrards when I researched buying it.

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Orchorsol
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by Orchorsol »

BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

gregbogantz
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by gregbogantz »

Garrard made a wide variety of case styles for its clocks, ranging from the classic "tambour" or "Napoleon's hat" with the long, extended base which is also very popular among other makers of mantel clocks, to many that are very 1930s-ish looking, some of which are quite deco or "moderne". Most of the cases are made of oak, also popular with British phono makers of the period. That makes them unusual from an American point of view since oak was not widely used in mantel clocks on this side of the pond, especially in the 1930s period. Attached are some pictures of two of my clocks. The triple chime shown here is a fairly late model in a rather "moderne" style and has a walnut case which (along with mahogany) was evidently a premium wood for a Garrard clock. The pendulum clock is in oak and the round top is quite typical of the Garrard styles in the mid 1930s. All the chiming models had a "silent-chime" switch located on the dial at the 3-o'clock position. The triple-chime models had this switch plus the chime selector switch located at the 6-o'clock position.

Note the "engine turning" finish on the back brass panels of the works. All Garrard chiming clocks that I've seen are so finished. They also made lesser models with strike only and also some with neither chime nor strike. Some models used the Garrard-Swindon diamond logo on the faceplate, but most did not. Many were branded on the faces with the names of the dealers who sold them. But they will carry the Garrard name on the back plate of the works. And on the pendulum. And the Swindon logo on the key, as shown in that picture. Garrard had patents on their pendulum adjustment feature and on the adjustment of the verge and on the gong anvil used in the "rear-mount" chiming models.

The main springs are an especially nice design. The spring barrels can be easily removed from the works without having to take the side plates apart which makes spring replacement quite easy. The pendulum hanger rod is made of "invar" which is a steel alloy with almost zero temperature coefficient. This allows the clock to keep quite accurate time regardless of room temperature variations. Not quartz-like accuracy, but very good for a pendulum clock. Likewise, the balance wheel on those models is also made of invar. The balance wheel escapement was fashioned as a separate module which could readily be replaced or cleaned without having to separate the works plates. This escapement had four jewels on the pivots.
Attachments
Key with Swindon logo and pendulum.
Key with Swindon logo and pendulum.
GarrardKey&Pendulum.JPG (168.3 KiB) Viewed 4357 times
Balance wheel escapement module and Swindon logo.
Balance wheel escapement module and Swindon logo.
GarrardBalanceWheel&Logo.jpg (148.46 KiB) Viewed 4357 times
Triple-chime with balance wheel escapement.
Triple-chime with balance wheel escapement.
Balance wheel escapement, back view.
Balance wheel escapement, back view.
Pendulum style back view.
Pendulum style back view.
GarrardPendulumBack.jpg (146.66 KiB) Viewed 4357 times
Pendulum style with Westminster chime.
Pendulum style with Westminster chime.
GarrardPendulumFront.jpg (178.16 KiB) Viewed 4357 times
Collecting moss, radios and phonos in the mountains of WNC.

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mjbramham
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by mjbramham »

Thanks for posting those. Both are lovely examples and the workmanship is superb. I have noticed that a lot of the British made clocks of the period use oak, with often very elaborate or strikingly modern designs of the period. What seems to be lacking is the same attention to detail when you get to the mechanism. Many are very dependable and accurate but the interiors are sometimes rather unimaginative! It is nice to see these which are rather lovely inside too. They were given as gifts at retirement, on promotion or at weddings, and they often retain their brass presentation plaques. Do many turn up like that over there? Some are quite touching!

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Valecnik
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by Valecnik »

Well now someone's done it, brought clocks into the discussion. Here's one attempt I made to integrate the clock and the phonograph hobby into one short video.

The machine is an Edison A250 Diamond Disc, and the clock was sold by "Suchy & Sohn", who were established in both Vienna and Prague. I bought it in the United States several years ago and brought it back home.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZK5v14AVNU[/youtube][/quote]

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OrthoSean
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by OrthoSean »

Was "In A Clock Store" ever released on Edison? :lol:

Sean

gregbogantz
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by gregbogantz »

Yes, many of the Garrard clocks that I've seen were fitted with presentation plaques as you mention. I suspect that they were considered a premium gift fitting such a purpose back then. Not many Garrards are seen here in the USA because they were not marketed here, to the best of my knowledge. The few that are here no doubt were brought with them by the people who immigrated here. I have purchased several from Europe.

By the way, the reason that I use the term "Swindon" in my description of these clocks is that they are different from other clocks which were offered by Garrard's of London who are the famous Crown Jewellers. Most of the London clocks were made by Elliot or are of Swiss origin. The two are actually tied together back in their history, with the Swindon works having been started as a spinoff from the Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Co. (the phono maker) which was a branch of the London firm. For a more detailed history, see this site:

http://www.garrard501.com/history.html
Collecting moss, radios and phonos in the mountains of WNC.

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Lucius1958
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Re: Garrard phonos and clocks

Post by Lucius1958 »

OrthoSean wrote:Was "In A Clock Store" ever released on Edison? :lol:

Sean
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YFoNztFCA[/youtube]

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