Online and on Target

American Welch Spring & Co. "Gerster" V.P. Clock, circa 1880, 5" painted numerals on wood dial with brass bezel, 8-day, bras spring driven movement, rosewood case. $1,400.

Written by Fred Taylor

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, April, 2004

Live online bidding is becoming standard operating procedure around the country and Florida auctioneers are not being left behind. Mark Peer, owner of Mark of Time in Palmetto, reported that he sold over 28% of the lots online with 600 registered online bidders at his recent third annual antique clock and vintage watch auction.

But that left another 400 live in person bidders competing first for the 266 chairs at the standing room only sale conducted at the Holiday Inn Orlando Downtown on February 18. In teamwork with liveauctioneers.com and eBay Live Auctions, auctioneer Jerry Byfield conducted a flawless, briskly moving sale with about 70 lots an hour crossing the block to complete the 300 lot sale in a timely fashion.

American tall case clocks provided both the top lot of the sale and what might have been the best bargain of the sale. The top seller was a 94" tall, well executed mahogany case enclosing an eight day weight driven strike movement attributed to Joachim Hill of Flemington, NJ, circa 1810. It had a12in painted iron moon phase dial and a paper label on the rear dial was printed "Curtis/Manufactory/Boston". Bidding was brisk from the open among five phone bidders and two buyer's agents in the room. The winning bid came from a private collector who will return the clock to New Jersey. He had previously acquired a similar clock as a gift to his daughter. This one was for his son with a winner of $14,000 plus the buyer's premium of 10 percent. The online buyer's premium was 15 percent.

The best bargain of the day, according to Peer, was a New York clock from the turn of the century. The 91" tall hall clock in a finely carved mahogany case with beveled glass doors was engraved "Tiffany & Co." The clock, manufactured by Waltham, had an 8 day, high quality brass 9-tube chime movement. Recent professional restoration had preserved all the original parts. This early 20th century masterpiece was an excellent buy at $9,000 plus premium.

American timepieces with unusual movements have made a strong showing recently in the clock market and this sale was no exception. An Ingraham & Co. "Ionic" shelf clock, circa 1860, with an experimental tin plate movement made by Joseph Ives, was won by a descendant of Ives. The underbidder was a major New England dealer.

Bill Mather, another major player from New Hampshire, attended the sale and was a strong bidder on several clocks, winning a German Winterhalder Hofmeier mahogany bracket clock, circa 1880, for $1,000. Two other clocks with German heritage will return to Germany, won by online bidders. An unusual Black Forest wall clock, circa 1830, with 31/2in enamel dial and a 30-hour, wood plate movement made $650, well above its $250 high estimate and a German Jahresuhren-Fabrik Animated Novelty Floating Duck Timepiece, circa 1950, in the original box, one of Mark Peer's personal favorites in the sale, reached $900, completely overwhelming the presale estimate of $125.

Mark of Time's next annual sale will be February 25, 2005. For more information visit the website at www.markoftime.com or call (800) 277-5275.

American Boston Clock Co. rare banjo wall timepiece, circa 1885, 8" original signed painted dial. $1,900.

American Ithaca Calendar Clock Co."#4 Hanging Office" double dial calendar clock, circa 1890, 12" upper, 9" lower replaced paper dials. $800.

Top lot of the sale was this tall clock in mahogany case attributed to Joachim Hill of Flemington, NJ, circa 1810. $14,000

.
American Elsha Manross, Bristol, Connecticut steeple clock, circa 1850, 5 1/2" original retouched dial, 8-day, fusee movement, double steeple mahogany veneer case. $1,000