How to create a masterpiece: SCR.79 by Altobel Antonio

Every Altobel Antonio’s clock has its own story to tell, from which comes the attention to every single detail and the choice of specific types of wood and mechanism. The creations of our company are tailor-made in accordance with the experiences and projects of our clients, in order to give them a clock that can be the central point of their home, an element that can be proudly displayed to guests through the years. This is exactly what happened with SCR.79, a modern grandfather clock made by Altobel Antonio that can claim a history full of particularity, born from the fusion of inventiveness and craftsmanship: a work of art between mind, arm and heart. Find out in the article how this masterpiece was created.

History

Once upon a time... there was an engineer from Sanguinetto, in the province of Verona, named Franco. Despite having independently designed his home in the best way, the man still did not feel fully satisfied. Something was still missing: a touch of vivacity, something able to illuminate the rooms and create a union between the living room and the balcony on the first floor, intended for the sleeping area. Franco spent the nights wondering: what could I add to my house to finally be proud and, above all, to amaze my guests? Then the brilliant idea came: to rely on Altobel Antonio, his fellow citizen.

Altobel Antonio’s company produced clocks manually. The main products were grandfather clocks but not only, in order to satisfy the needs of Italian and foreign customers. When Franco knocked on Antonio's small workshop, he immediately understood that he had come to the right place: the craftsmanship, the passion, the love for wood in all its forms had completely permeated him. After explaining to Antonio what he was looking for, the two protagonists of this story began to daydream and design the perfect grandfather clock for Franco's home.

The furniture

Antonio spent a lot of time to make true Franco’s dream: to give birth to a masterpiece is needed a lot of patience and commitment. However, finally the model SCR.79 (this was the name given to the grandfather clock designed for Franco) turned out to be perfect, the true classy touch of the engineer's house.

Every detail had been scrupulously studied. The wood of SCR.79 was solid and not laminated, a Douglas of Canada, with high and heavy thicknesses. In fact, the grandfather clock turned out to be a still and powerful pillar, which gave a sense of strenght to Franco's home decor. Antonio had added escape routes and joints to the solid wood, to avoid later sticking and to be able to paint the entire clock in its natural state.

In addition to this, another feature of SCR.79 concerned the wide and varied use of glass, which made the clock a very bright piece and, above all, visible in its whole being both from the living room and from above, that balcony where the bedrooms were. The crystal door embellished the work of art even more. Even the hinges were made of glass, an extremely innovative element for that era. But the real genius of Antonio concerned the creation of a flat glass, which allowed to admire the mechanism from the sleeping area, avoiding covering other pieces of furniture in the house (like the magnificent staircase, for example).

The guests that Franco had invited to his home on the evening of the grandfather clock arrival were enchanted: with their mouths wide open and eyes almost shiny, they admired a real masterpiece. But Antonio Altobel's surprises weren't over yet.

The mechanism

When we talk about "grandfather clock", we refer not only to the aesthetic part, but also and mostly to the mechanism, which must reflect the external quality of the work of art. In particular, Altobel Antonio studied for months and months a mechanism suitable for SCR.79, suited to resume the style and characteristics adopted by Franco in his own home.

And just like that the idea of ​​organ pipes was born, 9 rods hung on the clock that allow not only to grace it in its forms, but also to make it suitable for a mechanism with 3 melodies. From the clock came some of the most popular symphonies: Westminster St. Michael and Whittington, the longest on the market.

But, once again, vibrant and sweet sounds had to mix perfectly with a pleasant and complete dial. In fact, Altobel Antonio conceived the dial of SCR.79 as a calendar, that automatically showed the window of the month, of the day of the month and of the day of the week. Furthermore, the seconds and the moon phases, an element of differentiation from many other grandfather clocks of those years, were not lacking in the craftsman's masterpiece.

The future

It’s still moving, to Altobel Antonio and all his staff, to remember and tell the story behind one of the centrepieces of the company: SCR.79. In fact, after the introduction to Franco, this modern grandfather clock rightfully become a part of the company catalogue, as one of the best products. From this model two more were born, later: these clocks reflect the elements and the characteristics of the progenitor, but they result congenial to the different need of customers. SCR.78, in fact, is the same identical piece of furniture but resized, for houses of smaller length. A further version, on the other hand, is even brighter thanks to a specific attention to polished chrome. The crystal dial and the pendulum, that suite perfectly the finish and furniture of customers’ houses make this version customizable in several elements.

In short, the history of SCR.79 is destined to continue, handing down from generation to generation its own happy origins: to conclude this fairy tale that became reality, Franco could boast of a piece of furniture of undoubted value and undoubted creativity to complete the elegance of his home; on the other hand, Altobel Antonio had completed another masterpiece, showing off his skills and highlighting the innovativeness of his works. As in the most beautiful fairy tales, "they all lived happily ever after", thanks to a splendid grandfather clock.

Do you wish to know better the works of art of Altobel Antonio? Take a look to our e-commerce catalogue or contact us!