Jonathan Snellenburg, the founder of Christie’s timepiece business, who now
runs his own firm and is an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow, discusses how to
wind up with a fine-clock collection.
 When were the first accurate clocks invented?
In the middle of the 17th
century, the discovery of the pendulum allowed timepieces to tick at a
controlled rate. Spring-driven clocks from the Renaissance were notoriously
inaccurate. While they might be elaborately designed and sport a host of
dials—telling the month, the day, and what religious occasion was coming up, for
example—the technology did not exist for clocks to accurately track time in
seconds. None of these pieces had minute hands.
Clock technology advanced
significantly in the 18th century, but for most of that period, only the very
wealthy could afford them. The onset of the Industrial Revolution spurred
efforts to manufacture clocks more cheaply so workers could get to their jobs on
time and manufacturing processes could be coordinated, and, by the middle of the
19th century, they were in most peoples’ homes.
What sets the value of a collectible antique clock?
A combination of
quality and condition is what counts. This includes the movement, the finish on
the case, and how attractive the case is. Reliability also plays an important
part: If a clock has been sitting unused in someone’s attic for the past 70 or
80 years, it is very hard to bring it back to a state where it will run
reliably. Its value is therefore impaired. If a fine timepiece has been well
maintained, it can provide hundreds of years of service.
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