So, for our anniversary, my darling wife got me a grandfather clock I’d been eying in a local “antiques mall” (more or a secondhand shop cum junkyard, really).
The movement is all messed up - one of the chains has been pulled all the way up behind the face, and the other one just unwinds if you put the weight on it. I don’t really care, though, because I mostly wanted it for appearance.
I’d like to know where it comes from; I’m guessing it’s a sort of el cheapo as these things go. There’s no brand or maker’s mark anywhere as far as I can see; the face just has “made in Germany” on it. It could be 5 or 50 years old.
I’m hoping there’s an horologist (?) or two here who can identify it (the manufacturer, at least).
Picture here. I don’t think the sort of teak coloring is original; it looks to have been refinished.
I believe it’s a Ridgeway Grandfather clock. My father sold them at one time. The cases are made in America, but the face and movement are made in Germany. The one you have looks like a lower end model, but even the lower end ones retailed for over $1000 when my father sold them.
The detailing on the woodwork is so basic vs most manufactured GF clocks I have seen, which have fairly elaborate and finished case details, my first guess would be a build it yourself kit clock of some kind, which might also be a reason it has no identifier tags or labels. These kits were were quite popular 10-20 years ago.
astro, I thought it might be a kit but all the kit floor clocks I’ve seen online look more or less indistinguishable from pre-assembled clocks. Plus, the upper portion pictured is fairly simple, but the base has some really delicate scrollwork.
EI, thanks. I looked at Ridgeway’s website and it doesn’t resemble any of their current models, but I might give them a call during the week.
The wife spent $50 on the thing, so nobody posting to the thread should feel like they’re bursting my bubble by telling me it’s worthless.
