Seth Thomas Parlor Calendar No. 5 “VARIANT” mantel clock. 223215.
The Seth Thomas Parlor Calendar No. 5 is made of walnut and still has its original finish. If you look closely, you can see a fine crackle pattern in the shellac. This clock is called a “variant” because it has decorative rosettes between the two dials. These rosettes have a floral look and are more elaborate than the usual turned rosettes found on standard models. The front of the case opens to access the dials.
Both dials are 8 inches wide, original to the clock, and painted on tin. The upper dial shows the time with Roman numerals on a closed minute ring, and the maker’s name is printed below the center. The lower calendar dial shows the day of the month around the edge. The day of the week and month appear in slotted windows and remain on their original paper rolls. This calendar is perpetual, so if set up properly, it adjusts for different month lengths and Leap Years. The dial also shows the patent date of Feb. 15, 1876.
The clock’s time and strike movement is powered by a spring and runs for eight days when fully wound. It strikes the hour every hour. The movement is made of brass with steel pinions and includes Geneva stops to prevent overwinding. The front plate bears the clockmaker’s die-stamp, and the blue setup label remains on the back of the door in good condition.
This clock was made around 1886 and is a fine example of its kind.
The clock is about 20 inches tall.
Inventory number 22215.
Seth Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He was apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner and worked building houses and barns. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry. Thomas formed a clock-making partnership in Plymouth, Connecticut, with Eli Terry and Silas Hoadley as Terry, Thomas & Hoadley. In 1810, he bought Terry's clock business, making tall clocks with wooden movements. Seth chose to sell his shares in the partnership in 1812, moving in 1813 to Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, where he set up a factory to make metal-movement clocks. In 1817, he added shelf and mantel clocks. By the mid-1840s, He successfully transitioned to brass movements and expanded his operations by building a brass rolling mill and a cotton factory. In 1853, He incorporated the business but continued to be the majority shareholder. This clock business expanded until it became one of the "BIG Seven" in Connecticut. Their product line had offerings that competed at every price point, from kitchen clocks to precision regulators. Seth Thomas died in 1859. The community of Plymouth Hollow so revered him that they changed the name on July 6, 1875, to Thomaston in his honor. After his death, his son, Aaron, took over the company's leadership. Aaron is credited with increasing the business by adding a number of new case styles and improving production methods. The company went out of business in the 1980s.
