Hello David,
Thank you for sending in this Hall clock to mearto.com for an appraisal.
TITLE:
Cherry stained oak, three weight, time, strike and quarterly chiming Hall clock (aka-modern grandfather clock) lighted Curio Cabinet, using imported German Kieninger-made movement, model 610-440, Serial number F0184200494, made and sold by the Howard Miller Clock Company, Zeeland, Michigan, circa 1994.
PROVENANCE:
“I inherited this clock”.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: Size not provided but estimated to be 83"x W 28"x D 14" cherrywood stained highly grained golden oak, Hall clock with serpentine step-moulded pediment with concentric applied panels in the facade of the tympanum. The case is divided into three vertical panels, the façade in the center. The tympanum has an arched cornice which sits above the full length, arched glazed two-part central door with ornate elongated brass handle & key escutcheon. The door has two parts: the upper section smaller, arched and overlying the dial while below the longer section allows viewing the descent of the three brass canister weights and the arc of the gridiron pendulum as it swings inside the case. The hood section with glass overlying the dial is flanked by beveled glass panels, fully lit interior with glass shelving. The interior of the backboard is fully mirrored. The double stepped base consists of three attached and angled rectangular sections of stained oak resting on four multi-form shaped flat wooden feet. The case contains approximately five shelves, all lit from the interior to hold various curios and possessions.
Dial: A brass alloy arched dial with special blue tint has a silvered Arabic hour chapter ring with brass applied Arabic hour indices, each in round cartouche form, with closed minute ring to the outside, foliate half hour markers (outside the round cartouches), gilt metal floral/foliate filigree work is seen in the dial center as well as each of the corner spandrels. There is a silvered subsidiary seconds dial under the twelve. There are steel serpentine Chippendale-style hands. The dial is signed just below the lunette with its logo. The lunette has a revolving moon dial with blue sky and stars. The days of the lunar month above (29 ½ days) and two hemispheres below. There are levers located adjacent to the nine position for strike/silent feature and a lever adjacent to the three position for choice of three chimes (possibly Westminster, St. Michael’s and Whittington) and a chiming/silent feature.
Movement: The movement is nicely shown in the photos and is a clock movement signed by the maker, “Kieninger, Made in German, No. 8530660509. There are rectilinear solid brass plates attached by tubular brass pillars and screwed together at the rear plate with nuts and screws to secure the gearing. This is a triple brass canister weight driven movement. The three brass canister weights power the movement for an eight day duration with quarterly chiming and full chiming and full strike on the hour. There is the choice of three chimes, as mentioned above. The solid brass plate movement strikes via a series of twelve hammers (8on one side and 4 on the other) on a series of twelve metal rods of varying length inside the case. The clock is key wound from the dial. Levers for chime control are at the three position and strike control at the nine position on the dial. The brass and steel gridiron pendulum rod has an oversize brass pendulum bob with polished lyre decorative ornament just above the bob. This type of gridiron rod adjusts for small changes in temperature so that the time is kept more precise. . . .
Condition: The clock appears to be in very fine condition. I make the assumption it is fully functional today. The case is in very fine condition as is the dial and movement. Overall excellent condition.
HISTORY:
~Howard Miller, son of Herman and trained by him in the Black Forest region of Germany, founded the clock company in 1926, when he was 21 years of age. In its early years it produced chiming wall and mantel clocks. It was not until the 1960's that the Miller Clock company began to produce Hall/Grandfather clocks. It became the world's largest producer of these clocks. Today they use Kieninger clock movements, and purchased this German company not many years ago. They produce the cases in their own factories in Zeeland, Michigan. They produce very nice reproductions of 18th, 19th and 20th century styles in a modern clock.
~The Kieninger Clock Company in Germany decided in 1988 to build up new premises in Aldingen’s industrial zone. After one year of planning and another year of construction time Kieninger moved to the new premises in 1990 and a 5.500 m² large production area, all at ground level, was at their disposal. The new premises but also very high investments overcharged the clock company. In order to avoid severe consequences, the company Mahr, who at that time had been working with Kieninger for more than 60 years in the sector of measurement devices, acquired the share majority at Kieninger in 1991. Stephan Gais, a Mahr family member, took over as Managing Director. As part of a restructuring program of their activities Mahr sold Kieninger to the American company Howard Miller at the end of 1993, already. The family owned company from Zeeland, Michigan, is the world’s biggest clock manufacturer and has a high demand of clock movements itself. In 1994 Michael Schütz became Managing Director.
The change in ownership brought a step by step departure from the measuring device business, which had been so beneficial to Kieninger over the years. At the same time it brought a renewed focus on the clock movement business and by that stability and economic growth back to Kieninger. In the following years the development of numerous, new movement calibers and investments in new machinery resulted in a historic high in movement production in the year 2002. At the same time Kieninger earned public recognition in clock magazines with many of its innovative clock introductions.
COMPARABLES:
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/76219610_howard-miller-grandfather-clock-and-display-cabinet (Howard Miller example sold in 2020 for $325)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/43426394_ridgeway-walnut-curio-grandfather-clock (SOLD FOR $350 IN 2016, MADE OF WALNUT)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/76219610_howard-miller-grandfather-clock-and-display-cabinet (Sold for $325 in 2019)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/36722063_ridgeway-curio-grandfather-clock (sold for $325 in 2015)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/393614282447?hash=item5ba53d4ecf%3Ag%3AB3MAAOSwzDBhT8S1&nma=true&si=Ww%252F1kEG6qvdq6fQwKYIws455DVM%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (sold for $650 IN 2021)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/403204437116?hash=item5de0db747c:g:KQwAAOSwPnVhWLgF (This is a Ridgeway curio cabinet clock that sold for $820 in 2021)
PRICING:
The years between 1960 and the first few years of the 21st century saw hundreds of thousands of Hall clocks manufactured both in the USA as well as in Europe, Germany and England especially. The young people looking for homes today are looking for smaller homes and apartments, and have lost the desire for these rather monumental clocks. The entire clock market began to slide circa 2000 and has continued to do so except in the most exceptional antique examples. In the past year I have noted an upwards movement in the price and value of clocks in general. This model (yours) was stuck at the $300-$350 level the past few years but has begun an upward trend very recently.
This Howard Miller was a popular model when in it was made in the mid- 1990’s. However, looking at comparable examples leads me to believe that recently there has been competition for these curio cabinet clocks and if you offered this on the open market in today’s market place the fair market value would fall into a range of $650-$850. Retail values, when you go to buy them online or at a store are still rather high, the low thousands.
Thank you for choosing merto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David