Miniature Vienna Regulator Clock, ca. 1900
GUEST:
My grandfather, back in the '60s and '70s, flipped houses, and this clock was in a house that he got. My mom found it in the house, it was in a shoe box. She took it to a clockmaker, who put it back together and offered to buy it. She said no. They offered her a little more money, and she said no again, and it's been hanging in their house until just recently, and then she gave it to me.
APPRAISER:
How much was your mother offered for the clock?
GUEST:
She was offered $50 first, and then a week later she was offered $100. And that was in the early '70s, I believe.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. It falls into a broad category of clock referred to as Vienna regulators. They come in all shapes and sizes, but this one is significant because it's a miniature. They're very rare. The clock doesn't have any markings on it. I've examined the movement. It doesn't even have a serial number on it, so it's an anonymous maker. However, it was made in a factory, versus an individual clockmaker's workshop.
GUEST:
Okay, that's very interesting.
APPRAISER:
And it's made out of wood, and what's interesting about it is that the wood has been given a faux finish to make it look like rosewood. And that way they could produce a clock for a little bit less money without using rosewood. The dial itself has an enamel dial, and...
GUEST:
I didn't realize that.
APPRAISER:
As does the pendulum center.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It has that "R" and "A" on it. Now have you ever asked yourself what that R-A might be about?
GUEST:
Well, I know that's for making it go faster or slower.
APPRAISER:
Exactly. Now, if that were in English, that would be an "F" and an "S".
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
But it's in French.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
"A" is for avancer.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And the "R" is retarder.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And the arrow that you'll see points down to the little regulation nut at the bottom. There are people in this trade who refer to these as "R.A.s". The movement is brass and steel, and these run a week on a wind, which is remarkable considering how small it is. It dates from anywhere between 1880 to 1910. Its retail value is $1,200.
GUEST:
Wow, very good.
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.