Derek Roberts Antiques
The business of Derek Roberts Antiques has been trading in Tonbridge since the late 1960s. It was founded by Derek Roberts who also wrote a prolific number of books on horological subjects.
Some five years ago it was taken over by Paul Archard who had been a life long collector and owned Campbell & Archard Ltd, the UK’s foremost Viennese clocks specialist. The business continues today much as it has always done. It stocks an extremely varied selection of clocks, including many highly complex clocks and those unusual one off clocks that were occasionally produced. We also still specialise in early Viennese clocks and indeed when we go to the two antique fairs that we attend, namely the B.A.D.A. Fair and the November Olympia Far, we tend to take more Viennese clocks than English and other nationalities. In addition to attending the fairs we also run one or two exhibitions at the showrooms each year..
Mainly because of Derek Roberts’ trilogy of books on precision clocks and Paul Archard’s love of both English and European precision clocks, we always carry a large stock of English and Continental regulators.
Turning to a couple of the unusual clocks mentioned earlier (Fig 1 to the left), the unsigned weight driven skeleton clock of Continental origin is most unusual. Similar clocks have been made by Verneuil and we know of one other similar clock to our own with full calendar work.
Another unique clock is the longcase clock by Merlin (Fig. 2 right). He was a great inventor but made very few clocks. He is noted more for his musical instruments and mechanical music machines than he is for clocks. The particular longcase illustrated is the only known longcase by him and was exhibited at an exhibition of his work in Kenwood House.
Perhaps one of the most popular forms of clock these days is the English bracket clock. These were produced from the very early days of horology in the
mid to late 1600s right through to the present day.
The earlier clocks such as the basket top clock by Massey (Fig. 3 left) are one of the stronger areas of the market especially where the maker is well known.
The Vulliamy pad top clock shown in the picture below (Fig. 4) is much later but is by one of the most collectable makers of the period.
Turning to Viennese clocks, these were in their heyday from just before 1800 through to about 1860. Before that period the expertise within the Viennese clockmaking industry was not as good as in the French or English industries and the government at the time took steps to improve it.
This culminated in a golden age for Viennese clocks and a prime example of the sort of top quality unusual clocks they could produce is the Dorfer (Fig. 5 right) floor standing Laterndluhr shown in the picture. This has a duration of 12 months and is in the most fantastic and elegant mahogany case.
Finally, we have shown an example of one of our many English longcase regulators (Fig. 6 below). These clocks were produced for domestic use from the end of the 18th century through to the beginning of the 20th century. Prior to that most regulators would have been used in observatories and for scientific purposes. The regulator shown is exceptional in having a skeletonised dial signed for Hennessy,
Swansea although the movement was made by Smiths & Sons of Clerkenwell, London. Apart from the skeletonised dial the case style is relatively typical of many of the flat top regulators made in the 1850s and 1860s.
The one thing that all of the above clocks have in common is that they are beautiful antique items which even in today’s fast moving world tell the time accurately enough to be used as a main clock in any household. Also hopefully in today’s difficult world they will prove, as they have previously, to be a reasonably secure and hopefully appreciating asset.
The business of Derek Roberts Antiques has been trading in Tonbridge since the late 1960s. It was founded by Derek Roberts who also wrote a prolific number of books on horological subjects.
Some five years ago it was taken over by Paul Archard who had been a life long collector and owned Campbell & Archard Ltd, the UK’s foremost Viennese clocks specialist. The business continues today much as it has always done. It stocks an extremely varied selection of clocks, including many highly complex clocks and those unusual one off clocks that were occasionally produced. We also still specialise in early Viennese clocks and indeed when we go to the two antique fairs that we attend, namely the B.A.D.A. Fair and the November Olympia Far, we tend to take more Viennese clocks than English and other nationalities. In addition to attending the fairs we also run one or two exhibitions at the showrooms each year..
Mainly because of Derek Roberts’ trilogy of books on precision clocks and Paul Archard’s love of both English and European precision clocks, we always carry a large stock of English and Continental regulators.
Turning to a couple of the unusual clocks mentioned earlier (Fig 1 to the left), the unsigned weight driven skeleton clock of Continental origin is most unusual. Similar clocks have been made by Verneuil and we know of one other similar clock to our own with full calendar work.
Another unique clock is the longcase clock by Merlin (Fig. 2 right). He was a great inventor but made very few clocks. He is noted more for his musical instruments and mechanical music machines than he is for clocks. The particular longcase illustrated is the only known longcase by him and was exhibited at an exhibition of his work in Kenwood House.
Perhaps one of the most popular forms of clock these days is the English bracket clock. These were produced from the very early days of horology in the
mid to late 1600s right through to the present day. The earlier clocks such as the basket top clock by Massey (Fig. 3 left) are one of the stronger areas of the market especially where the maker is well known.
The Vulliamy pad top clock shown in the picture below (Fig. 4) is much later but is by one of the most collectable makers of the period.
Turning to Viennese clocks, these were in their heyday from just before 1800 through to about 1860. Before that period the expertise within the Viennese clockmaking industry was not as good as in the French or English industries and the government at the time took steps to improve it.
This culminated in a golden age for Viennese clocks and a prime example of the sort of top quality unusual clocks they could produce is the Dorfer (Fig. 5 right) floor standing Laterndluhr shown in the picture. This has a duration of 12 months and is in the most fantastic and elegant mahogany case.
Finally, we have shown an example of one of our many English longcase regulators (Fig. 6 below). These clocks were produced for domestic use from the end of the 18th century through to the beginning of the 20th century. Prior to that most regulators would have been used in observatories and for scientific purposes. The regulator shown is exceptional in having a skeletonised dial signed for Hennessy,
Swansea although the movement was made by Smiths & Sons of Clerkenwell, London. Apart from the skeletonised dial the case style is relatively typical of many of the flat top regulators made in the 1850s and 1860s.The one thing that all of the above clocks have in common is that they are beautiful antique items which even in today’s fast moving world tell the time accurately enough to be used as a main clock in any household. Also hopefully in today’s difficult world they will prove, as they have previously, to be a reasonably secure and hopefully appreciating asset.
Derek Roberts Antiques and Campbell & Archard Ltd
25 Shipbourne Road
Tonbridge
Kent
TN10 3DN
Telephone 01732 358986
www.campbellandarchard.co.uk
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