Antique lantern clocks are the oldest of all the collectable clocks you are likely to find, so named because they look like the candle lamps used in the 16th Century or maybe that later as brass became the standard material that they were made out of so the name was taken from the word latten, meaning brass.
The earliest antique lantern clocks are weight driven and would run for about 12 hours before needing to be rewound. At first they were largely imported from Europe to England. As with the longcase clock, London clock makers were the first to make good quality clocks and later as clock making skills were passed on around the country, other provincial cities like Bristol started to produce good quality lanterns.
Rare lantern clock in original wooden case, c.1680 Accuracy was never a strong point of antique lantern clocks, most of them will lose or gain around 10 to 15 minutes a day but for the day, they were an innovation that improved life immensely. The bell on the top of the clock was used to strike the hour of the day and night, when it was at its most useful.
Quite common is the feature of an alarm function, which was set by turning a small dial inside the main dial. The single hand would turn in line with the alarm dial.
Bracket clocks look fairly basic in construction, usually with a brass frame and most parts made of brass (after 1600) or steel (before 1600). The escapement was a verge and crown, and was protected inside the body of the clock in order to keep out dirt and dust. In contrast, the dial was completely exposed as well as the bell.
Lantern Clock by John Michael A common feature in front of the bell was the decorative fret that is apparent on most antique lantern clocks. On the back of the clock you might find a half-hoop so that the clock could be hung on the wall, although not all were actual wall hung. There are still some very rare examples that can be found inside a wooden tallcase housing (see picture on right) - I doubt whether you will be lucky enough to see one at all these days, but if you do I'd love to hear from you!
The method of keeping time on antique lantern clocks was fairly crude and usually consisted of adding or subtracting weight in the form of lead shot from the weights. In this way the clock could be made to gain or lose time but it was a hit and miss affair and their timekeeping was never that good.
The Introduction of the Pendulum - c.1660
All lantern clocks were made in pretty much the same form until around the year 1660, when a revolution swept through the clock making industry in the form of the pendulum. Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch astronomer and physicist invented the pendulum which quickly gained favor throughout Europe and also in England.
A forward thinking English clockmaker called Ahasuerus Fromanteel took Huygens' invention and obtained the right to manufacture the new device, describing the new clocks as "keeping an equaller time than any now made..." The pendulum made the clocks so much more accurate than had previously been possible and everyone had to have one.
The pendulum gave birth to another type of clock that was invented soon after the introduction of the pendulum in around 1660 - the longcase or grandfather clock. At first the typical longcase stood about 6' high, but as pendulums became longer so the cases also became taller and wider.
The number of lantern clocks still in existence at this time also led to them being incorporated inside wooden cases. The clocks had running times of around 30 hours before needing rewinding, but later modified clocks were able to run for 8-days, one-month, three-month and one-year.