Presented is a very large and very early Seth Thomas clock that was made by the Ashton Valve Company, New York. and bears its logo under the hands arbor. It is housed in the rare and most desirable, Rose, pink, forged bronze case. This is the type design that saw service in the wardroom and on the bridge of steam ships shortly after the turn of the 20th Century.

In the early days of Chelsea and Seth Thomas, they made movements of large size clocks to be installed by the buyer in cases of their own manufacture. It was a natural collaboration between ship builders and gauge manufacturers since they had the necessary resources as part of their normal business. In this instance, the L 10 double wind movement which was first introduced in 1901, is housed in a forged brass case made by Ashton. This 8 1/2 inch dial, Model 63 Marine clock with a Seth Thomas movement cost $57.50 in 1896.

Bottom view           Hinged case has a button lock   Seth Thomas, Thomaston, Conn. imprint                       Scuffing of case The large 8 1/2" dial has, acid etched, Arabic numerals with complimentary blued steel spade hands. It has a medium size second counter above the center arbor. There is a Fast/Slow adjustment lever below the 12 o'clock position. The heavy forged, desirable, Rose bronze, case was made by Ashton. At the bottom of the dial, it is marked Seth Thomas, 1160. It has a 10" hinged bezel, and measures 10 3/4 inches in diameter at the base, and is 4" deep. The double wind, time only, eleven jeweled precision all brass movement was rated by Seth Thomas for its accuracy as a chronometer. The clock, with an all brass dial is otherwise original and in extra fine condition. It is running and keeping precise time right in step with a quartz time piece. Complete with winding key. DIMENSIONS:  Diameter of Dial 8 1/2"  Full Diameter;10 3/4"  Weight 10 lbs 14 oz CONDITION: The clock is in good sound running condition and is keeping accurate time. The face has some superficial tarnish, which because of the silvering, we have not tried to clean. The case is good and sturdy, but the bezel has some minor scratches. There is one area on the side of the case that has some scuffing which we have pictured. Otherwise, this is a great clock. It has been recently polished. Noted clock authority and author Andrew Demeter, has stated that "Sales number of the giants were surprisingly low............and the low demand...was a major factor in their early elimination from the product line. In his research, he was only able to locate 497 giant size clocks out of the 100,000 clocks that were  sold between the years 1897 through 1914 by the Chelsea Clock Company. Consequently, large size is a good indicator of scarcity, and also of value and appreciation potential.  This clock is for the most serious of collectors and is the first of this size we have ever had by Ashton. It should appeal to the most discriminating buyer.  THE ASHTON VALVE COMPANY: started operations in Boston around the time of the Civil War making steam valves, gauges and fittings for the emerging railroad and steamship industries. Records show it  was located at 271 Franklin Street, Boston, and had offices in New York, Chicago and London. In 1893, the company received a gold medal at the Chicago World's Fair. Their early catalogs dating back to 1890 are available on the internet.   OUR UNCONDITIONAL NO NONSENSE GUARANTEE: We guarantee that this clock will be working on arrival and that our description is entirely accurate or your money back. The only conditions are that an email authorization be obtained within five days, and that the instrument is returned in its original condition and packaging, and insured for its full value. Shipping charges are  included in this offer if an error is due to our fault. This does not affect our policy on shipping damage which is discussed below. PACKAGING: We take great care in packaging our clocks for shipment which includes bubble wrap, placing in a box, and then placing in a larger box surrounded by impact absorbent material. However, we are not responsible, once it is turned over to the carrier. Full Value insurance is required. In the event of damage due to shipping we will assist you in all respects even to filing a claim in your behalf. International buyers welcome, but should inquire first.  We have satisfied customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Estonia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean. ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT are Bank wire transfer, cashier's check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No credit cards or PayPal accepted on this item. Copyright 2009 by Land And Sea Collection™, All Rights Reserved