Antique Tornaghi Wall Clock, Sydney, circa 1880
A circular wall clock by a. Tornaghi, Sydney, white painted Roman numeral dial, eight-day fusee movement with anchor escapement, circa 1880. Other Notes: Angelo Tornaghi arrived in Australia in 1858 aged 34, he apparently came to supervise the installation of instruments supplied by Negretti & Zambra (London) to Sydney's new observatory. The Sands Directory of 1861 is the first record of Tornaghi at 28 bridge Street Business. He had the contract for the post office clocks throughout New South Wales, Customs house Sydney, and Colonial Secretaries building, Sydney. He died circa 1906.
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- Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Anchor Escapement - An anchor escapement is a type of mechanical escapement used in clocks and watches. It is a refinement of the older verge escapement, which was used in early mechanical timekeeping devices. The anchor escapement is characterised by the use of an anchor-shaped pallet that rocks back and forth, alternately locking and releasing the escape wheel. This action allows the movement of the watch or clock to be regulated, producing the characteristic tick-tock sound that is associated with mechanical timekeeping devices. The anchor escapement is generally more accurate and reliable than the verge escapement, and it is still used in many modern clocks and watches today.
- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Fusee - The fusee movement was used in clocks and pocket watches from the mid 17th century. The fusee is a cone shaped drum within the works that is linked to the barrel of the spring, usually by a length of chain.
As the mainspring loses its tension over time, the cone shaped barrel compensates for this by increasing the tension, by pulling the mainspring tighter, thus ensuring the time remains constant.
Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.
The fusee continued to be used in marine chronometers until the 1970s.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- clocks, type
- Tornaghi, Angelo - clocks and instruments 14
