Restored & Quite Rare Seth Thomas 4 Bell Sonora 4 1909 Antique Chime Clock

  

PART OF MY DNA IS THE LONG TERM AND CONTINUING PASSION FOR THE PROPER RESTORATION OF SELECTED ANTIQUE CLOCKS, PRIMARILY SETH THOMAS AND HERSCHEDE. EACH RESTORATION IS ACCOMPLISHED VIA BEST METHODS AND PRACTICES, ACQUIRED THROUGH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, AND TECHNIQUES ACQUIRED. THE CLOCKS THAT I SELECT FOR RESTORATION AND SUBSEQUENT RESALE REPRESENT SPECIFICALLY SELECTED MODELS, WHICH ARE BEST CANDIDATES FOR THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER, OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, WHO DESIRES TO OWN AN HIERLOOM ANTIQUE CLOCK, AS WELL AS TO ENJOY A TASTE OF ANTIQUE CLOCK AMERICANA. SINCERELY PRESENTED, STEVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SOUND FILES ARE INCLUDED IN THE E COMMERCE AUDIO PLAYER AT THE TOP OF MY LISTING TO ASSIST YOU IN REVIEWING THE RARE.

4 BELL SONORA CHIME CLOCK NUMBER 4 - 1909. SETH THOMAS RESTORED ANTIQUE CLOCKS. AND TAKE A LOOK AT ADDITIONAL.

RESTORED SETH THOMAS ANTIQUE CLOCK LISTINGS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LISTING. OR FOR ONES OWN PLEASURE. OR PERHAPS AS A SPECIAL GIFT. IS THE MOST RARE, ELEGANT.

SETH THOMAS 4 BELL SONORA WESTMINSTER. CHIME CLOCK NUMBER 4 - 1909. THIS SONORA 4 IS QUITE RARE.

THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND ONE. I HAVE FOUND IN MANY YEARS OF HUNTING, BECAUSE ALL SONORA 4S ARE HELD IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS. BOTH CLOCK MOVEMENTS AS WELL AS ALL ASPECTS OF THIS LOVELY SONORA HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY SERVICED AND RESTORED.

ONE WILL HAVE TO LOOK AN AWFULLY LONG TIME AND WILL STILL NOT FIND A FULLY RESTORED SONORA CHIME CLOCK NO. 4, ESPECIALLY ONE AS FINE AS THIS. THIS IS THE EARLIEST AVAILABLE ADAMANTINE CABINET SONORA CHIME CLOCK, VINTAGE 1909, WITH A NEST OF 4 PATENTED SONORA LARGE 3 ¼ INCH DIAMETER DEEP TONED BELLS. THE CHIMES ARE RESONANT, WITH SUPERB TIMBRE AND DECAY AFTER EACH NOTE IS SOUNDED.

OTHER NON-SETH BELL CHIME ANTIQUE CLOCKS SIMPLY CANNOT COMPARE WITH THE TIMBRE AND RESONANCE OF THE BELL SOUNDS FROM THIS SONORA CHIME NUMBER 4 SONORA. THE NEW OWNER WILL DEFINITELY WANT TO PLACE THE SETH SONORA 4 IN A VERY SPECIAL LOCATION IN THE HOME. THE SETH THOMAS SONORA CHIME CLOCK NUMBER 4 1909 IS LISTED IN NOTED AUTHORITY TRAN DUY LYS SETH THOMAS CLOCKS AND MOVEMENTS THIRD EDITION, VOLUME 1, PAGE 151. THE SONORA 4 IS A DELIGHT TO VIEW, WITH THE ADAMANTINE MAHOGANY HIGHEST GRADE CABINET, AND CLEAN AND STYLISH CABINET DESIGN APPOINTMENTS THAT REALLY ATTRACTS ATTENTION.

THE CLASSIC PEDIMENT FOOTED SONORA HAS A PERFECT HEAT FIRED FIVE INCH IVORY PORCELAIN DIAL WITH VIVID BLACK NUMERALS, AND A GOLD PLATED SASH AND BEZEL. SETH THOMAS SIGNATURE FULL SPADE HOUR AND MINUTE HANDS COMPLEMENT THE DIAL. A CAP AND COLUMN ADORNS EACH SIDE OF THE FRONT, AND HAND CARVED GOLD TONE LINEWORK ABOVE, BELOW, AND ON EACH SIDE OF THE DIAL ASSEMBLY TASTEFULLY ACCENTS THE CABINET STYLING. THE GENTLE DORIC TOP COMPLETES THE PRESENTATION TO PRODUCE AN ELEGANT EARLY SONORA, WITH THE LARGEST DEEP TONED BRONZE BELLS A COMBINATION THAT IS SO HARD TO FIND IN THE MARKET PLACE.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIAL AND BEZEL ASSEMBLY IN SUPERSIZE PHOTO FOUR. THE PORCELAIN DIAL REALLY IS PERFECT WITHOUT FLAWS, AND THE ARABIC NUMERALS ARE VIVID AND CLEAR. THIS PARTICULAR CABINET SONORA IS REALLY AN ATTENTION GETTER BECAUSE OF ITS STYLE AND STATEMENT WHEN DISPLAYED IT ALWAYS DRAWS GUESTS OR FRIENDS BACK FOR ANOTHER LOOK. THE WESTMINSTER SEQUENCE ON THE DEEP TONED 3 ¼ INCH SONORA BELLS, AS WELL AS THE HOUR STRIKE ON DEEP TONED BELL NUMBER 4, IS JUST GRAND.

BY ALL MEANS LISTEN FOR YOURSELF VIA THE ATTACHED E COMMERCE AUDIO PLAYER AT THE START OF THE LISTING. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE SUPERSIZE PHOTOS FOR HIGH RESOLUTION CLOSE IN VIEWS. THE ORIGINAL ADAMANTINE MAHOGANY FINISH WAS RETAINED, AND THE ENTIRE CABINET WAS PROFESSIONALLY CONDITIONED AND RESTORED WITH MY SPECIAL PROCESS, IN ORDER TO BRING FORTH THE RICHNESS OF THE ORIGINAL ADAMANTINE MAHOGANY FINISH TIME CONSUMING, YES BUT JUST LOOK AT THE BEAUTY OF THIS SONORA NO. THIS IS AN ANTIQUE SONORA, AND THE CABINET IS QUITE OUTSTANDING.

AS INFORMATION, THE REAR DOOR PANEL IS AN EXACT REPLACEMENT, AS THE ORIGINAL PANEL HAS PART OF ONE CORNER MISSING AND WAS NOT SUITABLE TO BE RESTORED. I CAN PROVIDE THE ORIGINAL REAR DOOR PANEL IF THE NEW OWNER WOULD LIKE IT. EVERY ASPECT OF THE SONORA 4 HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS, INCLUDING THE NEST OF FOUR RESONATED SONORA BELLS.

AND YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF THE QUALITY, BECAUSE MY PERSONAL OBJECTIVE, AS ALWAYS, IS TO EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS. ANYONE WHO DESIRES SHOULD FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS DETAILS OF THE SONORA 4, AS WELL AS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE VARIOUS SONORAS IN GENERAL. THE WINDING HOLE NEAR THE 8 IS FOR THE HOUR COUNT CHIME; THE ONE NEAR THE 4 IS FOR THE TIME TRAIN. BOTH THE HOUR COUNT AND TIME TRAIN ARE HANDLED BY THE FRONT MOVEMENT, WHICH IS AN EARLY VINTAGE #89 SERIES SETH MOVEMENT, USED IN THE VERY EARLIEST SONORAS. ANOTHER HOLE AT THE 3 IS FOR WINDING THE QUARTER-HOUR WESTMINSTER CHIMES, HANDLED BY THE REAR SONORA MOVEMENT, AN EARLY VERSION OF THE SETH #90 SERIES.

A SMALLER HOLE BELOW THE HAND SHAFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DIAL IS FOR ACCESSING THE SLOW-FAST TIME ADJUSTMENT. NOTE THE SLIDE LEVER ON THE DIAL FOR CHIME-SILENT OPERATION. WHEN OPERATED, THE QUARTER HOUR CHIMES AND THE HOUR STRIKE WILL BE SILENCED. THIS FEATURE WAS FOUND ONLY ON THE EARLIEST VERSION SONORAS. A CLOSE-UP OF THE LEVER AND THE DIAL IS SHOWN AS AN INSET IN SUPERSIZE PHOTO 4.

THE FRONT EARLY 89 MOVEMENT HANDLES THE TIME AND HOUR STRIKE FUNCTIONS AND THE REAR EARLY 90 MOVEMENT HANDLES THE QUARTER HOUR FUNCTIONS. EACH QUARTER HOUR SEQUENCE IS SOUNDED ON THE DEEP TONED BELLS WITH RICH HARMONICS, TIMBRE AND LINGERING DECAY WHEN STRUCK.

PLEASE MAKE IT A POINT TO LISTEN AND CAREFULLY REVIEW THE ATTACHED SOUND PLAYER FILES IN ORDER TO FULLY APPRECIATE WHAT OWNERS IN THE 1909 TIME FRAME EXPERIENCED WITH THEIR NEW AND, AT THE TIME, VERY EXPENSIVE SONORA NUMBER 4 CLOCKS. ALSO INCLUDED IS THE ORIGINALLY ISSUED HEAVY BRASS COVERED PENDULUM BOB AND A CORRECT SOLID BRASS DOUBLE ENDED KEY. CLOSE-UP VIEWS ARE SHOWN IN PHOTOS 1 AND 2. PLEASE OBSERVE THAT NEARLY HALF OF MY LISTING PORTFOLIO CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT THE MECHANICAL ASPECTS AND MOVEMENT RESTORATION OF THE CLOCK. YOU DESERVE, AND SHOULD EXPECT, A RESTORED ANTIQUE SETH OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND RELIABILITY. I STRIVE TO EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS RATHER THAN SIMPLY SELL YOU AN ANTIQUE CLOCK. THE NEST OF SONORA BELLS. THE RESTORATION PROCESS INCLUDED COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION OF EVERY ASPECT OF THE CLOCK. THE SONORA CHIME BELLS AND CHIME BLOCK ASSEMBLY WERE CAREFULLY EXAMINED FOR CONDITION TO INSURE THE ABSENCE OF HAIRLINE CRACKS, ETC.

SUPERSIZE PHOTO 9 SHOWS THE BELL NEST WITH RESONATING ACOUSTIC SOUND CAVITIES THAT CAN BE SEEN ON THE END. CAREFUL INSPECTION OF THE BELLS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

ONE HAIRLINE CRACK CAN CAUSE A SONORA BELL TO LOSE ALL TONE AND TIMBRE, AND THE BEGINNING OF A HAIRLINE WILL ALMOST ALWAYS GROW TO A FULL HAIRLINE CRACK. IN ADDITION, OTHER ISSUES WITH CRACKED, BROKEN, OR DETERIORATED WOODEN AND PRESSED FELT BELL SPACERS, USED TO SEPARATE THE BELLS, WILL IMPACT THE SOUND, YET CANNOT BE DETECTED BY CASUAL INSPECTION. MOVEMENTS - EARLY#89M AND #90. BOTH THE 89 TIME AND HOUR STRIKE MOVEMENT, AND THE 90 CHIME MOVEMENT, WERE DISASSEMBLED, CLEANED WITH ULTRASONICS, INSPECTED IN DETAIL FOR CONDITION OF THE PIVOT BUSHINGS, GEAR TRAIN, AND ARBOR OR PIVOT ABNORMALITIES.

OUT OF TOLERANCE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED. EVERY OPERATIONAL ASPECT OF EACH MOVEMENT WAS ADDRESSED. THE MOVEMENTS WERE THEN REASSEMBLED AND PROPERLY LUBRICATED; BOTH MAINSPRINGS IN THE 89 WERE UNLOADED, AND REPLACED WITH NEW FIRST QUALITY MAINSPRINGS. I USE HIGHEST GRADE 120 INCH MAINSPRINGS, NOT INEXPENSIVE GRADE MAINSPRINGS. THE GREAT MAINSPRING IN THE 90 MOVEMENT WAS UNLOADED, INSPECTED FOR HAIRLINE CRACKS, PROPERLY SERVICED AND RELOADED.

THE MAINSPRING EXCEEDED THE DELIVEED FORCE REQUIREMENTS BOTH AT THE START AND AT THE END OF ITS FORCE CURVE - REST ASSURED THE 90 MOVEMENT WILL PERFORM RELIABLY AND PROPERLY. THERE ARE THREE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN THE #90 CHIME MOVEMENT: THE GREAT WHEEL GEAR, THE SECOND WHEEL GEAR WITH PINION, AND THE CHIME DRUM THAT SYNCHRONIZES AND DRIVES THE CHIME HAMMERS. IF ANY OF THESE COMPONENTS IS ABOUT TO FAIL, IT MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS. WHEN IT OCCURS, THE COST TO REPAIR WILL GIVE YOU A JOLT, BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE IN SUPPLY CHANNELS; ANOTHER MOVEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED.

THAT IS WHY I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THESE CRITICAL COMPONENTS ARE IN TOP CONDITION ON MY RESTORED SETH SONORA CLOCKS. JUST LISTEN TO THE ATTACHED E COMMERCE PLAYER AUDIO FILES FOR AN ACCURATE RENDERING OF THE CLARITY, RESONANCE, TONE, AND RICH DECAY OF EACH NOTE STRUCK WHEN THE SONORA NUMBER 4 CHIMES AND STRIKES THE HOUR.

AFTER REASSAMBLY, APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS FOR TIME, CHIME, HOUR STRIKE, SYNCHRONIZATION, PENDULUM RATE AND BEAT ERROR ETC. WERE ACCOMPLISHED USING MECHANICAL AND ELECTRONIC MEANS. AN EXTENDED BENCH RUN TEST FOLLOWED.

SEVERAL PHOTOS OF THE RESTORATION WORK ARE PART OF THE PORTFOLIO. AS PART OF THE TESTS AND ADJUSTMENTS PROCEDURES ON THE #89 MOVEMENT, THE. ARE CHECKED AND SET - AN OBJECTIVE OF NEAR ZERO FOR BEAT ERROR IS DESIRED. THIS RESTORED 89 MOVEMENT ADJUSTED TO ZERO ERROR AND STABILIZED AT ZERO ERROR.

THIS ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE IS HIGHLIGHTED ON THE LEFT INSET IN PHOTO 11. FOR PENDULUM BEAT RATE, THE 89 IS DESIGNED TO RUN AT 9,777 BEATS PER HOUR. THE RESTORED MOVEMENT EASILY HELD THE 9,777 BEAT RATE, MEANING THE TIME KEEPING WILL BE DEPENDABLE AND THE MOVEMENT WILL GIVE RELIABLE SERVICE.

IN FACT, BOTH MOVEMENTS IN THE SONORA 4 WERE RESTORED TO SUPERIOR CONDITIION. THE BEAT RATE ADJUSTMENT PROCESS IS PICTURED IN SUPERSIZE PHOTO 11 ALSO, VIA THE RIGHT INSET.

THE PENDULUM SWING ARC ON THE #89 MOVEMENT IS A FULL 3 5/8 INCHES, VERY ROBUST AND EXCEEDING ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS. A HEALTY PENDULUM SWING IS A POSITIVE INDICATOR OF A HEALTY MOVEMENT THAT HAS VERY LITTLE FRICTION AND LOTS OF ENERGY. BEWARE OF A #89 SERIES MOVEMENT WITH A PENDULUM AMPLITUDE OF 2 ½ INCHES OR LESS A SIGN OF POOR MOVEMENT HEALTH.

4 - 1909 WILL BE THE CENTER-PIECE OF A GRAND DECORATIVE SETTING, AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT, BECAUSE ITS VALUE WILL CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE YEAR AFTER YEAR. THIS IS A LARGE, FULL SIZE CABINET SONORA CHIME CLOCK, SUITABLE FOR MANTLE, TABLE, OR SHELF DISPLAY - IDEAL FOR A GIFT. A MEMORABLE PRESENT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL. YOUR PERSONAL USE, OR AS AN ADDITION TO YOUR COLLECTION.

MEASUREMENTS ARE 19 W X 14 H X 7 ¼ D. ALL OF MY DISTINCTIVECLOCKS SETH THOMAS ANTIQUE CLOCKS ARE FULLY RESTORED IN EVERY WAY UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED OTHERWISE. MY SINCERE HOPE IS TO EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN EVERY WAY. ENJOY THE LISTING IF YOU NEED OR DESIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE BE IN TOUCH WITH ME, STEVE. IMPORTANT NOTE E COMMERCE AUDIO PLAYER FILES ARE ATTACHED AT THE BEGINNING OF MY LISTING. FOUR SOUND FILES OF THE SETH SONORA CHIME CLOCK NUMBER 4 1909 ARE INCLUDED. VOICE INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUND FILES. PENDULUM BEAT-ESCAPEMENT/CRUTCH AND TIME GEAR TRAIN OPERATION SOUNDS OF THE #89M MOVEMENT LISTEN FOR CLEAN AND EVEN SOUND, REGULARITY, AND THE ABSENCE OF ODD NOISES. WESTMINSTER SEQUENCES AT 7:15 7:30 7:45 - LISTEN FOR PURE NOTES WITH GOOD TIMBRE, RICH DECAY AND ZESTY TEMPO OF THE MOVEMENT RATHER THAN A SLOW, SLUGGISH OR DRAGGING TEMPO. THE FULL 16 NOTE WESTMINSTER SEQUENCE AND HOUR COUNT AT 8:00. AGAIN, LISTEN FOR PURE NOTES WITH GOOD TIMBRE AND RICH DECAY - AND AGAIN THE ZESTY TEMPO OF THE MOVEMENT RATHER THAN SLOW, SLUGGISH OR DRAGGING TEMPO. IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SOUND RECORDING.

THE MICROPHONE IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MOVEMENT FOR RECORDING PURPOSES, AND SOME NORMAL GEAR TRAIN OPERATION SOUNDS WILL BE HEARD. THE OPERATION SOUNDS ARE NOT NOTICED AT TYPICAL LISTENING DISTANCES. THE FILES ARE POSTED VIA THE E COMMERCE PLAYER AT THE START OF MY LISTING. The item "RESTORED & QUITE RARE SETH THOMAS 4 BELL SONORA 4 1909 ANTIQUE CHIME CLOCK" is in sale since Monday, June 15, 2020.

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Clocks\Antique (Pre-1930)\Shelf, Mantel". The seller is "distinctiveclocks_and_audio" and is located in Irmo, South Carolina. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Viet nam, Uruguay.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Brand: Seth Thomas Herschede New Haven
• Clock Type: Antique Clock