French Crystal Regulator Clock Garniture Set, ca. 1890
GUEST:
So this clock originally belonged to my great-great- uncle Arthur. He was born and raised around Albany, New York. He ended up being an attaché after World War II in Japan. He worked in Honolulu, and then ended up working for NATO in Paris, and the family believes that this probably traveled with them all the way around the world, until it finally ended up, they retired back in Albany. And he passed away in about 2002, and this came down to us.
APPRAISER:
Wow. So in the business, we call this a crystal regulator. And some people refer to them as a brass and glass clock, for obvious reasons.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It does say Tiffany and Company on the dial. And it was retailed by Tiffany. It was not made by Tiffany and Company. I'm not familiar with the maker of this clock, but it was probably made in Paris. Tiffany and Company obviously handled the finest things, and this is certainly one of them. It would have been made circa 1890. It has green onyx all throughout the case. And on the garniture set, which is a remarkable set, as well, it has champlevé, and it's repeated throughout the clock on the columns, on the top of the clock, on the dial. Do you have any idea of the value of this clock at all?
GUEST:
We think it's beautiful. Always hoped it was worth maybe $1,000 or $2,000.
APPRAISER:
Right. Well, it's worth a little more than that. It's a clock that, if in a retail situation, with these urns, I think you expect to pay $4,000 for a clock like this.
GUEST:
That's wonderful. That's really wonderful. Well, we treasure it, and it's going to stay with the family forever.
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.