John Rogers of Newton, Massachusetts. A fine mahogany cased tall clock with a very unusual dial display and retaining power. TT-59.

This sheet brass tall clock dial measures 13 inches across and is oversized compared to the more common 12-inch examples. The brass is engraved and treated with a silver wash on the front surface. The engravings are skillfully executed and filled with black wax. The silver does not adhere to the wax, creating excellent contrast. This dial features an unusual combination displaying seconds, minutes, hours, day of the week, calendar day, and lunar phases. The "MOON'S AGE" is shown in the arch of the dial. A painted, star-filled blue night sky separates the two engraved moon faces. The time ring displays hours in Roman numerals. Five-minute markers appear at each hour position in Arabic numerals. The calendar date is engraved inside this ring, numbered 1-31. This requires an unusual arrangement of three hands mounted off the center arbor. The minute and hour hands are traditional. The sweep calendar hand is filed from steel in the form of an arrow. At the base of the time ring is the Maker's name, "John Rogers / Newton." In the center of the dial is a subsidiary seconds dial with the inscription, "By faith improve / Each moment as it flies / Consider what faith is / To him that Dies." Beneath the center and visible through a large keystone-shaped aperture is a subsidiary disc that rotates to reveal the day of the week and engraved images of the Greek gods and goddesses Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, and Mars, associated with that day.

Behind the dial is a brass weight-driven movement. Two brass plates frame the works and are supported by four turned posts. This framing is mounted on a seat or saddle board. These plates retain a higher-than-normal copper content, as evidenced by their copper coloring. The front plate has an unusual shape with four ears or extensions designed to capture the dial feet, which are positioned wider than the standard movement frame. The movement runs for eight days on a full wind, striking each hour on a cast-iron bell. The strike train uses a rack-and-snail striking arrangement. An unusual steel lever on the right side of the movement plate is part of a maintaining or retaining power arrangement. The engagement arm is located in a slot on the right side of the dial. Depressing this arm engages a spring-loaded pawl that engages the teeth on the first wheel, providing forward pressure on the time train. This is engaged before winding, so the movement continues running while being wound. This ingenious design is similar to arrangements found in clocks made in London by clockmakers such as Thomas Tompion and Daniel Quare. This feature is very unusual and seldom seen on American-made clocks from this era of craftsmanship.

The mahogany case exhibits classic early pre-revolutionary New England proportions. It stands on four applied ogee bracket feet that elevate the case off the floor. The base features a mahogany panel with vertically oriented grain. The lower waist molding slightly overhangs this base panel. The waist section has a tombstone-shaped waist door made from well-selected wood with vertical grain. This door is trimmed with applied molding. The front corners of the waist have a simple molded edge. The hood, or bonnet, is pagoda or bell-top shaped. The center has a cast-brass decoration inset with a pierced casting pattern. Two finial plinths support large brass ball finials. The arch molding is nicely formed and visually supported by free-standing hood columns mounted in brass capitals. The back quarter columns are shaped and neatly fitted into the case's corners. The hood sides feature tombstone-shaped side lights. The bonnet door is arched and fitted with glass. This door opens to access the dial.

This fine clock was made circa 1770. The overall height is approximately 94 inches. It is 23 inches wide and 11.5 inches deep at the arch molding.

Inventory number TT-59.