Longcase clock

At a glance

• Region: Lorraine, eastern France
• Woods: oak and walnut, marquetry
• Case: violin-shaped, in three parts
• Movement sources: Nomény (Nancy area), Holland (Moselle), Franche-Comté or Switzerland (Vosges)

What it is

The longcase, or grandfather, clock was the pride of many French farmhouses. In Lorraine, cases took a curved, violin-like silhouette. The example in the book is built of three parts fitted one on another and decorated with a marquetry panel.

Where the movements came from

The book gives a useful detail for attribution. Movements and dials for clocks around Nancy usually came from Nomény, formerly part of the duchy of Lorraine; those of the Moselle came from Holland, and those of the Vosges from Franche-Comté or Switzerland.

Cases were usually made locally by a joiner, so case and movement often have different origins.

Collecting and living with one

Check that the movement is original to the case and runs, and that the dial matches it. Replaced feet or a cut-down base are common.

A ticking longcase clock gives a room a heartbeat. Have it serviced and leveled after moving.