Harvard Register

Chelsea Clock Museum

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.

Serial Number Movement type Jewel count Description

1-99 series

13 back escapement marine 7 jewel 8.25" marine clock, Harvard/Crosby, nickel

27 regulator movement none Howard 70 type regulator clock, brass

35 front escapement marine 11 jewel movement only, nickel

36 front escapement marine 11 jewel 10" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., cut out, Josiah P. Carle, nickel

38 banjo movement none #5 banjo clock, brass

50 banjo movement none movement only, brass

71 front escapement marine 11 jewel movement, bezel, and cut out dial, brass

75 back escapement marine 11 jewel Black Marble Shelf Clock, Harvard Clock co., cut out, brass

76 back escapement marine 11 jewel 6.75" marine clock, American Steam Gauge, brass

88 back escapement marine 7 jewel 7 3/8" marine clock, Ashcroft Mfg. Co., Fletcher, brass

100-199 series

116 back escapement marine 7 jewel 6.75" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass

186 back escapement marine 11 jewel 10" marine clock, Crosby steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel

200-299 series

224 front escapement marine 11 jewel Cherry Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel

228 front escapement marine 11 jewel Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel

230 banjo movement none #5 banjo clock, brass.

233 back escapement marine 7 jewel 4" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Boston, Light Vessel 44, brass, No signature

234/5 back escapement marine 7 jewel 6" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., dated May 1895, brass, No signature

242 back escapement marine 7 jewel 8.25" marine clock, Baker, Smith & Co., New York, brass, No signature

250 back escapement marine 7 jewel 5" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., Boston, brass, No signature

255 back escapement marine 11 jewel 6.75" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., nickel

287 back escapement marine 11 jewel 5" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., dated Dec 1, 1884, nickel

291 back escapement marine 11 jewel movement only, nickel

293 back escapement marine 11 jewel 6" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., S.S. Mascotte, nickel

300-399 series

322 back escapement marine 11 jewel 6.75" marine clock, Ashcroft MFG Co., Champaign Water Works, nickel

350 back escapement marine 7 jewel 8.25" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass, #2 on dial

353 back escapement marine 7 jewel 8.25" marine clock, American Steam Gauge Co., John Roach & Sons, New York

361 back escapement marine 7 jewel 5" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Boston, Light Vessel 44, brass

362 back escapement marine 7 jewel movement only, brass

393 back escapement marine 7 jewel 6" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass, #II on dial

400-499 series

402 back escapement marine 7 jewel 4" marine clock, Harvard Clock Co., Beverly Yacht Club 1887, brass

407 back escapement marine 7 jewel 8.25" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., brass

500-599 series Carriage clocks only

542 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, hand painted mask, large type fancy handle, nickel

550 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel

551 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel

557 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, Sparta type, nickel

559 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel

573 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, large type fancy handle, nickel

590 back escapement carriage 11 jewel carriage clock, Queen Anne type, nickel

600-999 series No Known clocks in this series

1000-1099 series

1004 front escapement marine 11 jewel Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel

1029 front escapement marine 11 jewel Onyx Mantle, cut out, nickel, Boston over Harvard signature on dial

1031 front escapement marine 11 jewel Lattice Shelf Clock, cut out, nickel

1037 front escapement marine 11 jewel 12" marine clock, cut out, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., nickel

1042 front escapement marine 11 jewel 6" Shelf Pedestal Clock, circular cut out, nickel

1054 front escapement marine 11 jewel 6.75" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., cut out, nickel

1062 front escapement marine 11 jewel 5" marine clock, Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co., cut out, nickel

1100-1199 series

1102 front escapement marine 7 jewel Oak Shelf Clock, cut out, brass

1126 front escapement marine 7 jewel Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass

1127 front escapement marine 7 jewel Large Metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass

1140 front escapement marine 7 jewel movement only, brass

1145 front escapement marine 7 jewel Cherry Shelf Clock, cut out, brass, Boston over Harvard signature on dial

1175 front escapement marine 7 jewel movement only, brass

1186 front escapement marine 7 jewel Large metal Shelf Clock, cut out, brass

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