GERMAN FORESTVILLE 400 DAY ANTIQUE MANTLE CLOCK 100% ALL ORIGINAL RUNS GREAT!

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This is a VERY BEAUTIFUL 100% ALL ORIGINAL example of a FORESTVILLE – Made in Germany - 400 day clock in wonderful condition (runs great) with ORIGINAL 4 ball pendulum. 400-days clocks are becoming collectable! 400-day clock means you only wind it once every 400 days! This is an engineering marvel to be sure! This is a very classy antique clock! It was made in Germany circa late1940’s or early 50s. The PORCELAIN dial is original and in mint condition and has a fancy design (see picture) with the original matching hands. See brief history of 400-day clocks below! The bezel around the dial is also great. German clocks were the one of the highest quality clocks made in the world. The German clocks in our collection have required no service or adjustment for over 30 years – very reliable! This particular model is in superior, 100% ALL ORIGINAL, outstanding condition. The clock has its original shiny brass finish with beautiful construction and the original heavy glass dome. The time can be adjusted on the pendulum as to slow and fast. 400-day clocks do not strike making them great for the bedroom or anywhere you need quiet timekeeping. Also they tick very softly. We have ours in the bedroom window. The light reflecting off of the polished brass and the brass on the rotating pendulum is really something to see in the morning sun. The ticking is barely audible and only ticks 8 times a minute. The movement is signed by the rare maker, and says made in Germany. Forestville clock company made high quality 400 day clocks. Runs great and keeps good time. Has the Horolovar temperature compensating suspension spring. We will include complete instructions for setting up your new clock and hints to keep it happy! This clock measures 12 inches high, 8 inches in diameter. Complete with a new heavy duty key to wind it. Includes the original large original glass dome. The earliest known 400-day clock was invented by F.A.L. de Gruyter in 1884. The name "Anniversary Clock" was registered in 1901 by a U.S. importer/promoter who saw the clocks as birthday or wedding gifts that could be wound each year on the anniversary of the event. The first 400-day clocks were made in Germany with high quality construction with thick plates as well as a Graham Dead Beat Escapement. The clocks were sold by jewelers and commanded a very high price. Between World War I and World War II sales were relatively slow especially during the depression years, since these clocks were considered a luxury item. A new and big wave of 400-day clock sales was to begin in 1949 with the first producer, Forrestville Clock Company, with Schatz, Kieninger & Obergfell and Kundo soon to follow. Shortly, 400-day clocks enjoyed a phenomenal sale, and ultimately became one of the most popular gift items ever produced. The boom sales were of short duration, though. The first clocks sold at approximately $80.00, which as a considerable sum in 1949. As the clocks became popular, some other manufacturers attempted to undercut the fine German companies, and began using inferior construction and poor materials. Their clocks looked like the Forrestville, Schatz, Haller, Kieninger, Kieninger & Obergfell and Kundo and other fine German Companies from a distance, but were poorly made. Soon the market was flooded with these inferior clocks which did not run well and would fail usually in the first year. As a result of the publicity that spread across the country, sales of the 400-day clocks slowed to a trickle. Who would pay $ 80.00 for a quality clock when others were selling for less than $15.00? Who would give this clock as a gift with all the bad publicity? By 1956 most manufacturers had either become bankrupt or removed the 400 day clock from their lines. Today 400-day clocks are making a comeback with plastic reproductions becoming available. The Kundo, Forrestville, Hall Craft, Kieninger & Obergfell, Schatz, and other Fine German key wind quality originals are recognized as collectable by antique clock enthusiasts, and many of the original clocks are being restored and are running ag... read more

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