James McCabe, Royal Exchange, London No. 8228

Circa 1860

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8-½ inches high

A very fine quality gilt-brass giant striking and repeating carriage clock. Case Typically high-quality McCabe style case has a reeded handle to the top which is set with a large bevelled glass escapement viewing aperture inset with the push hour repeat button, glazed sides, sold rear door with wind & hand-et shutters. Dial Very fine dial with heavy foliate engraving signed Jas McCabe Royal exchange London No. 8228 beneath the Roman chapter ring with blued steel fleur de lys hands and subsidiary seconds right. Movement With 5 cylindrical pillars, chain fusee with maintaining power and spring barrels, strike of a lovely soniferous gong, going train with a large gilt platform lever escapement with high quality cut bimetallic balance, fully signed and numbered backplate. James McCabe Senior was born in 1748, he worked in London producing fine watches, clocks and chronometers in Fleet Street, Cheapside and eventually at 97 Cornhill, Royal Exchange. After his death in 1811, his son, also James, succeeded him. James junior, the maker of the present clock, was apprenticed to Reid and Auld of Edinburgh, he was made free of the Clockmakers Company in 1822. McCabe was an exceptional clockmaker and evidently an equally fine businessman because he produced more carriage clocks than any other English maker. McCabe were also very fine marine chronometer makers but almost without exception his carriage clocks had underslung lever escapements, probably owing to the lever's more robust nature and its greater reliability. The form produced carriage clocks in many different shapes and sizes, but his finest and best quality carriage clocks were his ‘giant' 8 inch examples, like the present clock, with distinctive volutes at the front angles, large reeded handles and beautifully engraved dials with subsidiary seconds rings