Chronos Fromanteel This beautiful spring clock, made by the pioneering clockmaker Ahasuerus Fromanteel, has the distinction of being the earliest known full grande sonnerie striking clock.[1] This means that it was of the first iteration of domestic pendulum clocks capable of melodically chiming the hour and quarters throughout the day. It is now known as the Chronos Fromanteel on account of the figure of Chronos (or Father Time) that sits atop its opulent fish scale dome-topped case. Since it was made, the Chronos Fromanteel, has travelled far and wide, from owner to owner, undergoing numerous and sometimes controversial modifications along the way. Eventually, during the 21st century, wending its way back to Britain. After much debate and serendipitous discovery at auction, it has since been faithfully restored to its original glory, taking its true place within the historical trajectory of Fromanteel’s design-form evolution. Fromanteel’s domestic pendulum clock: the first iteration The Chronos Fromanteel was made around 1661. At the time, it was an iteration upon the then still-new domestic pendulum clock technology. Specifically, it debuted key refinements, such as its full grande sonnerie striking system, its maintaining power and its case form. Just a few years before its production, in 1658, Fromanteel was the only clockmaker in London with direct knowledge of the design for the domestic pendulum clock invented by the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens. It is most likely that he acquired this knowledge directly through his son John Fromanteel. John had worked for the Dutch clockmaker Salomon Coster under contract in The Hague from 1657 to 1658, and, while there, he had been instrumental in helping Coster manufacture the first of Huygen’s new designs. John then brought this knowledge home to his father’s workshop in the Southwark area of London. We know that Fromanteel had mastered this new technology by 1658, because he famously advertised his new domestic pendulum clocks in the Commonwealth Mercury newspaper on 18 November of that year. In the advert, he heralds his introduction of the domestic pendulum clock to the London market, describes his horological innovations and states that his clocks have been ‘examined and proved ... before ... the Lord Protector [Oliver Cromwell]’ himself. It reads: There is lately a way found out for making Clocks that go exact and keep equaller time then any now made without this Regulater (examined and proved before his Highness the Lord Protector by such Doctors whose knowledge and learning is without exception) and are not subject to alter by change of weather, as others are, and may be made to go a week, or a moneth, or a year, with once winding up, as well as those that are wound up every day, and keep time as well; and is very excellent for all House Clocks that go either with Springs or Waights: And also Steeple Clocks that are most subject to differ by change of weather. Made by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who made the first that were in England. You may have them at his House, on the Bank-side in Mosses-Alley, Southwark and at the sign of the Maremaid in Lothbury, near Bartholomew-Lane end, London.[2] From this time, Fromanteel’s workshop ‘was a hotbed of technical advance’ as he immediately, began experimenting and innovating upon Huygens’ design.[3] This knowledge was arguably exclusive to the Fromanteel workshop, enabling the clockmaker to gain a serious (albeit brief) advantage over his competitors.[4] The Fromanteel Pendulum Box Clock, made around 1659 and exhibited here on Clocktime, is an example of the first iteration of Fromanteel’s domestic pendulum clocks. These were unadorned table clocks with box-like, Puritan style cases. The star of these productions was truly the then cutting-edge internal movement, revealed via the opening of the clock case's doors and side panels. When it was made, it was the epitome of technical excellence – a groundbreaking product of all the knowledge that John brought back with him from The Hague and his father’s ingenuity. Fromanteel’s spring clock: the next iteration The architectural case Almost immediately, the design of the Fromanteel’s case forms stylistically evolved from the simple box case to the architectural case form – a case form that was altogether more baroque and theatrical. These forms were hooded wall clocks and bracket clocks.[5] And, they were designed as miniature classical buildings. Typically, their architectural cases were made of oak, which was then veneered in ebony inside and out. The cases and doors were beautifully finished, seamlessly incorporating classical architectural features. They also were decorated with finely rendered gilt- and silver-cast mounts. The architectural case forms that became popular during the 1660s were in stark contrast to the plain, undecorated Puritan-style cases produced during the 1650s. The English Puritan style was influenced by the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It was especially popular in England during the English Commonwealth period, 1649–1660, when Britain was governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War (1648) and the trial and execution of King Charles I. Its development was probably a reaction to the extravagantly decorated clock- and watch cases of the earlier 17th century. The stark, clean lines of Fromanteel’s undecorated box clocks, were in keeping with this Puritan style. When the exiled Charles II, the son and heir of King Charles I, returned to power in 1660, he ushered in a new era decadence, while also re-instituting the monarchy’s systems of patronage and heavily investing in the development of the arts and sciences. Clock- and watchmakers reacted to this cultural, political and economic sea change by designing opulent clock cases with new shapes accented by features, such as stylised mouldings and expensive gilt and silvered mount decorations. Like the earlier box clocks, the new architectural clock cases were also designed to showcase the new, more accurate pendulum within. This was usually facilitated by the engineering of hidden buttons or latches on top of the case or inside its drawers. When activated, the doors would open. The revelation of the working movement within was pure theatre. The Denton Hall Fromanteel table clock, designed by Fromanteel around 1657 and exhibited on Clocktime, is an excellent example of a very early architectural table clock that was made to be viewed in the round. During this period, Fromanteel employed the highly regarded English neo-classical architect John Webb to design many of his architectural clock cases. For examples of Fromanteel clocks that were probably designed by Webb see the Denton Hall Fromanteel mentioned above and the Norfolk Fromanteel, with its elegant pediment and Corinthian columns, made around 1660 (also exhibited on Clocktime).[6] Although it is difficult to ascribe the design of the Chronos Fromanteel’s case to Webb, because of its history of alterations (discussed below), there is no reason to rule out this possibility. In almost every respect, The Chronos Frmanteel is typical of the architectural case form described above. The front and sides of its oak carcass are ebonised inside and out, and it too is designed as a miniature classical building. There is a moulded cornice, a frieze featuring three gilt mount cupid heads on each visible side, Corinthian columns with gilt capitals, and a ribbon-tied gilt-swag mounted above the XII. The dial also features four silver-cast winged cherub spandrels in each corner. In this vein, the Chronos Fromanteel’s case also incorporates classical references to Greek mythology. A gilt figure of Chronos, the Greek god of time, sits atop the domed fish-scaled case, with a scythe in hand.[7] Fittingly, chronos (xρόνος) is also the Greek word for time. The addition of the scythe adds a sense of urgency to the whole presentation; its presence reminds the viewer that time is fleeting, and death is coming for us all. Yet, the back of the Chronos Fromanteel is plain and unfinished. This suggests that it was made to be against the wall and that it was probably originally designed as a bracket clock.[8] The original bracket has long since been lost. This not surprising, as, over the course of 365 years or so, it is all too easy to lose track of small, detachable brackets. Even so, the case of the Chronos Fromanteel was designed to admired from the front and the sides, as Fromanteel finished the three visible sides with his usual attention to detail. Each of its doors is glazed and can be easily opened. This allows the viewer to scrutinize the workings of the quarter striking train on the IX side and the spectacular full grande sonnerie mechanism on the III side. Full grande sonnerie (full grand strike) As stated above, the most historically important feature of the Chronos Fromanteel is its grande sonnerie striking method, because it is first known full grande sonnerie clock with a pendulum. This is also by far the clock’s most innovative feature. At the time, full grande sonnerie striking was a phenomenal technical achievement. It also would have been an expensive rarity. Full grande sonnerie striking works by sounding out the quarters and the hour at each quarter. For instance, at 7:00 it strikes seven times for the hour. At 7:15, it strikes once for the quarter and then seven times for the hour. At 7:30, it strikes twice for the quarter and then seven times for the hour. At 7:45, it strikes three times for the quarter and then seven times for the hour, etc. With this method, the clock owner could know the time every fifteen minutes just by listening to the striking of their clock. Grande sonnerie was a true innovation in complications and a welcome means of telling the time in the deep dark of night, before electricity. Maintaining power Fromanteel also strove to improve and facilitate the winding of the Chronos Fromanteel by engineering maintaining power and adding shuttered winding holes, which could be operated manually, to the the dial. Up until this time, when a clock was wound, it would stop. Sometimes the hands would even jump backwards while it was being wound. This means that the owner would need to reset the clock to the correct time every time it was wound. During the 1660s, most clocks ran for a duration of just 8 days – the Chronos Fromanteel’s duration is 7.5 days to be exact. This means that the owner would have to go through the motions of resetting the clock at least once a week. During this time, setting a clock to the correct time was by no means a straightforward task. All clocks still had to be set locally by reference to a sundial. People typically set their clocks locally according to readings taken from a sundial in their gardens. Reading the time on a sundial can be tricky because the time indicated on the dial represents solar time. Therefore, an Equation of Time had to be used to calculate the difference between solar and local mean time. Solar time, as represented on a sundial, is determined by the location of the sun in the sky relative to the dial’s position on Earth. By contrast, the mean (average) time is determined by the 24-hour day by which we run our clocks. Solar time can vary from mean time by up to 16 minutes either way, depending upon the time of year. The two correlate with one another on just four days per year (in April, June, September and December). This variation of up to 16 minutes is a consequence of Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun. Also, each day the earth moves in space around its orbit, it requires a bit of extra turn to come back facing the sun on the next day. As the earth travels at different speeds in its elliptical orbit, the time required to execute that extra bit of turn differs slightly from day to day. Thus, having to reset one’s clock by a sundial with an Equation of Time was a fiddly affair. There was also the matter of logistics, as the ability to get a reading on a sundial is only possible during the daytime and is reliant on a clear, cloudless sunny day – something of a rarity in Britain. Cleverly, Fromanteel circumvented all of the above aggravations and fiddly calculations by using maintaining power, which ensured that the clock would continue to run accurately while it was being wound. His innovation made it possible for a well-organised owner to avoid resetting their clock altogether by consistently winding within its 7.5-day duration, before it ran down. It is worth mentioning that Fromanteel also accounted for the accessibility of the Chronos Fromanteel’s countwheel. The countwheel is a slotted wheel that controls the strike train. Typically, it is mounted on the backplate of the clock’s movement. Access to the countwheel is important because it allows the owner to track whether the clock is in phase when setting it up. Simply mounting the countwheel per usual on the backplate would not work for the Chronos Fromanteel, because it was designed as a bracket clock with a closed back. To account for this, Fromanteel designed the outer countwheel (which is mounted the backplate in typical fashion) with an inner silver chapter ring that can be read from the side of the open case. This engraved chapter ring has a convenient pointer to indicate the time, thus allowing the owner to track clock’s phase. Controversial restoration and modifications As mentioned above, this 365-year-old clock has undergone numerous modifications as it passed from owner to owner over time. At some point, the clock’s original grande sonnerie design was modified to a less demanding quarter striking arrangement. In 1982, Dan Parts carried out conservation on the Chronos Fromanteel’s movement. He rectified the simplification to quarter striking back to full grande sonnerie. This is the striking method used in the clock now. The clock also had a Victorian minute hand, which Parts restored to a more appropriate early modern design. After it was sold in 1982 to the London-based auction house Asprey, a debate began regarding whether the top of the case was original, particularly the fish scale dome feature and the Chronos figure. Jack Pierce, who was then head of Asprey’s antique clock department, and P.J.S. Clarke, who was head of Asprey’s antique furniture department, are among those who thought the top was a later alteration. They argued this because no other comparable examples could be found and cited the existence of square corner blocks under the dome as an indication of the former presence of a triangular pediment. Satisfied with this assessment, Pierce duly removed the domed top and Chronos figurine, replacing them with a purpose-made ebony-veneered architectural pediment. He topped the case with three gilt-brass ball finials, which was much more in keeping with the decorative style of Fromanteel’s known contemporary productions. Fortunately, the removed gilt fish scale domed top and figure remained with the clock when it was next sold to a private collector in New York. The clock would remain in this altered state until it returned to UK in 2014. It was around this time that a similar Fromanteel architectural table clock was discovered in private collection. In 2011, a highly important Fromanteel architectural bracket clock, made around 1662, was put up for auction at Bonhams, New Bond Street, London.[9] It too featured a fish scale domed-top surmounted by a figurine, in this instance, a cherub, thus affirming that the Chronos Fromanteel’s fish scale top and Chronos figurine were indeed original. The original top and figurine have since been restored, using the original moulding around the base of the dome. As a result of the restoration process, it is now possible to remove the domed top by means of an ingenious spring lever in the underside. The remainder of the case is almost entirely original. Once again the opulent and innovative Chronos Fromanteel can be studied and admired in its original form with its fully restored full grande sonnerie striking. Dr Kristin Leith, Curator of Clocktime December 2025 End notes [1] Dawson et al. 1994 [1982], 98 –100, pls. 119 –123, 144 –148, 191 –192; Garnier and Hollis 2018, 192–195, Catalogue No. 37. [2] Ullyet 2011. [3] Garnier 2018, 70. [4] Carter 2021, 36. By the 1660s, other London clockmakers, including Edward East, were also producing pendulum clocks. Like Fromanteel, these makers were experimenting with and refining their designs as they strove to deliver more accurate clocks for a lower cost up front. This drive to innovate and increase profit produced two competing schools of pendulum clock design: the Fromanteel school and the East school. Within a few short years, by 1665, the East school had caught up technically with the Fromanteel school, with East producing clocks of near-equal refinement to Fromanteel’s. [5] An outstanding contemporary example of a bracket clock that was also made in Fromanteel’s Southwark workshop is the Minerva Fromanteel, made by Fromanteel’s son John. It also has a spring-driven movement. Evidence suggests that this is the earliest surviving spring-driven true English bracket clock. See Carter 2021, 41–42, Catalogue No. 9. [6] Webb also probably designed architectural cases for clock made by clockmakers who are clearly associated with Fromanteel. See the Minerva Bracket Clock made around 1664 by Fromanteel’s son, Johh Fromanteel, and the Samuel Knibb Cupola Clock made around 1665 by Samuel Knibb. [7] In Greek mythology, Chronos was the god of time and king of the Titans. He was the son of Ouranos (Uranus) and married to his Titan sister Rhea. Eventually Chronos was overthrown by his son Zeus, god of thunder, who became king of the Greek gods. [8] Horologist and collector Dr John C. Taylor OBE argues and demonstrates the likelihood of the Chronos Fromanteel being a bracket clock in the video that accompanies this exhibit. [9] Bonhams, New Bond Street, London, 28 June 2011, 14:00 BST, Lot 93. See https://www.bonhams.com/auction/18866/lot/93/a-highly-important-recently-discovered-english-ebony-bracket-clock-attributable-to-ahasuerus-fromanteel/. References Carter, J. 2021a. The John C Taylor Collection: Part I (Selling Exhibition Catalogue, Carter Marsh & Co.). Winchester: Carter Marsh & Co. Dawson, P. G., C. B. Drover and D. W. Parkes. 1994 [1982]. Early English Clocks: A discussion of domestic clocks up to the beginning of the eighteenth century. Woodbridge: The Antique Collectors’ Club. Garnier, R. 2018. ‘Fromanteel’s progress: An Anglo-Netherlandish life pushing at the boundaries of mechanical endeavour’ in Garnier, R. and L. Hollis (editors). Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd., pp. 55–79. Garnier, R. and L. Hollis. 2018a. Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. Ullyett, Kenneth. 2011. British Clocks and Clockmakers. London: British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
