Surviving Harvard Clock Company Clocks and Movements

Harvard Clock Company and the year 1880 was the beginning of a marine clock dynasty.  Although Harvard was to exist for only 4 years, it set the standard for quality and innovation that has extended to the present day in the form of the Chelsea Clock Company, over 125 years. The Harvard Clock Company did continue after the initial first four years, as the Boston Clock Company, however, the finish and quality of workmanship was exceptional and unmatched in those first four years. Unfortunately the production records of the Harvard Clock Company have been lost. In an effort to reconstruct the history of Harvard clock production, the Chelsea Clock Museum has been recording known clocks and movement serial numbers. The following table is a record of this effort. In the beginning this effort seemed like it would produce little in the way of meaningful information. As time has passed and thanks to the expansion of the internet, more Harvard clocks and movements have surfaced. The numbers of known clocks and movements made during the four short years, 1880 to 1884, now allow clock historians to get an accurate and fascinating picture of what Harvard did during those early years. Known serial numbers range from 13 to 1186, at first indicating about 1200 clocks were produced. As data points have been recorded over the years, enough points have been recorded, to say with some certainty, that the series 600-999 was probably not used. Subtracting these unused serial numbers from the original 1200 indicates that the realistic number of Harvard clocks was most likely 800. Speculation is, that series 600-999 may have been used for a timing device that Harvard manufactured that has not produced any surviving examples. Until a clock or other device signed Harvard with a serial number in the unknown range comes to light, 800 clocks is the educated guess of present day students of Harvard Clock Company. An alternate theory and perhaps the most likely, is that Harvard, in an effort to make their production seem more than it actually was, jumped to serial number series 1000 after the first 600 clocks were made. If you have a Harvard clock and would like to add to the history of this record, please forward your serial number with a description of your clock or movement to the Curator of the Chelsea Clock Museum .

1-99 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
12 back escapement marine 11 8.25” dial Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel
13 back escapement marine 7 8.25" marine clock, Harvard/Crosby, nickel
27 regulator movement none Howard 70 type regulator clock, brass
35 front escapement marine 11 movement only, nickel
36 front escapement marine 11 10" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., cut out, Josiah P. Carle, nickel
38 banjo movement none #5 banjo clock, brass
43 front escapement marine 11 5" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., cut out, nickel
50 banjo movement none movement only, brass
71 front escapement marine 11 movement, bezel, and cut out dial, brass
75 back escapement marine 11 Black Marble Shelf Clock, Harvard Clock co., cut out, brass
76 back escapement marine 11 6.75" marine clock, American Steam Gauge, bras
79 front escapement marine 7 Brass, movement in case most likely not original
88 back escapement marine 7 7 3/8" marine clock, Ashcroft Mfg. Co., Fletcher, brass

100-199 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
116 back escapement marine 7 6.75" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass
186 back escapement marine 11 10" marine clock, Crosby steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel

200-299 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
217 front escapement marine 11 Gilt Desk Crystal Regulator, cut out, nickel
224 front escapement marine 11 Cherry Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel
228 front escapement marine 11 Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel
230 banjo movement none #5 banjo clock, brass
233 back escapement marine 7 4" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Boston, Light Vessel 44, brass, No signature
234/5 back escapement marine 7 6" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., dated May 1895, brass, No signature
241 back escapement 9 9" marine clock, Kline Bro., no signature.
242 back escapement marine 7 8.25" marine clock, Baker, Smith & Co., New York, brass, No signature
250 back escapement marine 7 5" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., Boston, brass, No signature
255 back escapement marine 11 6.75" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., nickel
278 back escapement marine 11 4” dial, Marine, Harvard Clock Co., nickel
287 back escapement marine 11 5" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., dated Dec 1, 1884, nickel
291 back escapement marine 11 movement only, nickel
293 back escapement marine 11 6" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., S.S. Mascotte, nickel

300-399 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
303 back escapement 11 6.75” dial, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co. Water Works, nickel
322 back escapement marine 11 6.75" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., Champaign Water Works, nickel
339 back escapement marine 7 6.75”, marine clock, brass
350 back escapement marine 7 8.25" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass, #2 on dial
353 back escapement marine 7 8.25" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., John Roach & Sons, New York
361 back escapement marine 7 5" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Boston, Light Vessel 44, brass
362 back escapement marine 7 movement only, brass
365 back escapement marine 7 8.25” marine Crosby Steam Gauge
393 back escapement marine 7 6" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass, #II on dial

400-499 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
402 back escapement marine 7 4" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Beverly Yacht Club 1887, brass
407 back escapement marine 7 8.25" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass
413 back escapement marine 7 8.5" dial, brass

500-599 series (Carriage clocks only)

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
527 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, hand painted mask, unique type
542 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, hand painted mask, large type fancy handle, nickel
550 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel
551 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel
557 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, Sparta type, nickel
558 back escapement carriage 11 hand painted mask, large fancy handle, nickel.
559 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel
573 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel
590 back escapement carriage 11 carriage clock, Queen Anne type, nickel

600-999 series

There is one known clock in this series and it is a bank time lock serial #705. It is suspected that this entire series was bank time locks.

1000-1099 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
1004 front escapement marine 11 Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel
1010 front escapement marine 11 Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel
1029 front escapement marine 11 Onyx Mantle, cut out, nickel, Boston over Harvard signature on dial
1031 front escapement marine 11 Lattice Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel
1037 front escapement marine 11 12" marine clock, cut out, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel
1042 front escapement marine 11 6" Shelf Pedestal Clock, circular cut out, nickel
1054 front escapement marine 11 6.75" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., cut out, nickel
1062 front escapement marine 11 5" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., cut out, nickel
1096 front escapement 11 5” dial, open escapement, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel

1100-1199 series

Serial Number Movement Type Jewels Description
1102 front escapement marine 7 Oak Shelf Clock, cut out, brass
1126 front escapement marine 7 Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass
1127 front escapement marine 7 Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass
1140 front escapement marine 7 movement only, brass
1145 front escapement marine 7 Cherry Shelf Clock, cut out, brass, Boston over Harvard signature on dial
1151 front escapement marine 7 Lattice shelf clock, patented Kosmic 24 hour dial, Boston style cutout, brass
1175 front escapement marine 7 movement only, brass
1185 front escapement marine 7 Lattice shelf clock, cut out, brass
1186 front escapement marine 7 Large metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass


 
Chelsea Clock Museum

BACK TO TOP