Aaron Willard Shelf Clock, ca. 1785
Watch
GUEST:
Well, this clock originally belonged to my great-great-great- grandfather, Judge John Kearsley. He was appointed by Patrick Henry. After that, it was passed down to his son, who passed it down to his son, which was Major George Kearsley, who owned the clock during the Civil War.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
There's a family story that says that the lead weights were melted down and used for ammunition during the Civil War, and that the clock was hidden away and forgotten about for a few years. It was discovered again in 1880 and given back to Major George Kearsley.
APPRAISER:
Really? Where was it discovered?
GUEST:
In an attic of a relative's house.
APPRAISER:
Really?
GUEST:
Because that's where it was hidden. After that, it was handed down to his son, then down to the next grandfather. down to my father, then down to me.
APPRAISER:
This is a clock made by Aaron Willard, who came from a family of our country's most famous clockmakers. His brother was the most famous clockmaker, Simon Willard, and Aaron Willard is certainly our country's second-most famous maker, and you see his name right here on the dial, "A. Willard." Aaron Willard was born in 1757 and died in 1844. He had three other brothers, Simon, Ephraim, and Benjamin, that worked with him in Grafton, Massachusetts. He followed his brother Simon from Grafton to Roxbury in 1780. This is a Massachusetts shelf clock made circa 1785, which is a really early Massachusetts shelf clock. There's a couple of features that make this clock very early. It's what we call a case-on-case form. It has this case here, and then these brass feet. And then again, it's repeated with another case, and then these wonderful brass scrolled feet here. It has this beautiful balloon top with a, what they call a kidney dial, and it's a very early form, and it's certainly the earliest form of a Massachusetts shelf clock with a painted dial. It's a mahogany case. It has a nice original finish on it, which a lot of clock collectors really like. The dial is great, there's really no paint loss. It's in fantastic condition. The hands are absolutely wonderful. They're called poker beetle hands, they're an early form. It's just an absolutely incredible clock. Any museum would be glad to have this clock. I mean, it's just... It's as good as they get.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
The weight was original, the movement's fantastic. It's a beautiful piece. This clock, in a showroom, would certainly sell between $125,000 to $150,000.
GUEST (chuckles): Wow.
APPRAISER:
It's a little surprising?
GUEST (laughs): Yes.
APPRAISER:
It is just an absolute treasure.
GUEST:
Boy.
APPRAISER:
Any serious clock collector would love to have this clock.
GUEST:
I think we should insure it.
APPRAISER:
I would certainly put an insurance value on this clock at about $150,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
I mean, I haven't seen a nicer clock in a long time.
GUEST:
Thank you.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
