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SLR.50
Lacquered grandfather clock
A classic Rococo, carved and painted like a picture. Solid French lime wood, deeply carved by hand, colour on the flowers, leaves and faces, and a light touch of gold leaf.
A clock that is yours alone. Wood, finish, colour and melody: we start from this model and finish it together, the way you want it.
- Dimensions
- Height 219 cm · width 73 cm · depth 34 cm · weight 90 kg
- Wood
- Solid French lime wood only, up to 16 cm thick; base, body and top from the same boards
- Finish
- White ground hand-painted in many colours, devised by the master painter Serafino; light gold leaf; matt acrylic clear coat
- Movement
- German Kieninger mechanical movement in brass; weekly chain winding (up to 10 days); switchable night silencer from 10 pm to 7:15 am
- Chime
- Westminster on bells every quarter hour
- Dial
- Round, cast brass; hands of our own design, signed
- Pendulum
- Brass lyre pendulum and weights by Jaeckle
- Other
- 5 mm glass bevelled by Giovanni Casella; round opening at the back; screwed back panel, the movement comes out backwards with 2 screws
How it is made
In the 1970s it was a very costly clock, because the first-choice wood it needs was rare. We exported it mainly to Japan, where it often stood in the meeting rooms of large companies, showing clients and staff a piece of Italian craftsmanship. Back then we also carved our signature, the date and a dedication into the wood. Later we made it taller, for new customers. The lime wood for it is chosen in person by Antonio Altobel.
The case is solid French lime wood only, up to 16 cm thick, seasoned for up to fifteen years in boards stored upright. The base, body and top all come from the same boards: after roughing out on a manual pantograph, Pietro Mancasola of Sanguinetto carves them by hand. The colouring was devised by the master painter Serafino: over a white ground he puts colour on the leaves, flowers, eyes, eyelashes and skin, with a light gold leaf, as in a painting by Caravaggio. A matt acrylic clear coat goes on top, compact to the touch.
The Kieninger movement plays the Westminster chime on bells every quarter hour. It is wound once a week by pulling the chains: each weight drops about 12 cm a day. At the back we kept the round opening of the originals, to check the movement. The back panel is screwed at the sides: with two screws the movement comes out backwards, without moving the case.
