103rd Auction

2020/11/7

Lot 89

Sigmund Riefler, München, DRP No. 50739 / 60059, Movement No. 26, Height 1515 mm, circa 1896
An important, astronomical seconds precision regulator with regulator dial and Riefler spring impulse escapement, timed to sideral time and sold to the observatory of the "Case School of Applied Science" in Cleveland
Case: mahogany. Dial: silvered. Movm.: rectangular-shaped brass movement, weight driven, seconds contact device, spring impulse escapement no. 47, mercury compensation pendulum "Type H", no. 117, DRP no. 60059.
Together with No. 56, this is the second early Riefler clock in the auction; it was also delivered to the "Case School of Applied Science" observatory in Cleveland but on December 17, 1896, i.e., nearly five years earlier. Riefler clocks with such early numbers as this one are usually in the care of museums or part of the historical collections in the scientific institutions they had served at; the fact that the clock is presented in an auction at all is a sensation in itself. Moreover, its condition is perfect – apart from two cracks in the bird’s eye maple rear panel – and original in every detail. This means that we see all the typical features of the early clocks, which were constantly updated and then built in different variations. The cast-iron wall bracket of the movement plate is fixed with two vertically aligned screws only and this is probably one of the last clocks with cone-shaped top pillars; in 1897 these pillars were already straight. The rear movement plate is directly screwed to the pillars here – later the braces with knurled screws were used. The pendulum rod has an extra-fine thread and carries the four compensation discs for the sidereal time exactly as shown in Sigmund Riefler’s instructions for setting up and regulating the early astronomical clocks with mercury compensation pendulum. This type of pendulum was replaced by the nickel steel pendulum only a few years later.
Riefler’s first years already showed the difference in the production figures of pendulums and clocks; clock No. 26 was delivered with pendulum No. 122 and we know that eventually approximately 600 Riefler clocks would exist - while there were more than 4,000 pendulums which were all sold to important manufacturers of precision pendulum clocks.
The old Warner & Swasey Observatory in Cleveland the clock was originally delivered to according to the Riefler sales book closed down in the 1950s due to the rising light pollution. The site is now derelict and one of the "lost places" photographers love to explore. The Riefler clock No. 26, however, has been privately owned since its retirement and never been offered for sale – it is truly a magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime piece of technical history.

Sold

estimated
50.00080.000 €
Price realized
82.100 €