A clock case is the housing that protects a clock's movement, dial and pendulum and gives the clock its outward form and style. Cases range from the tall wooden trunks of longcase clocks and the portable cases of bracket and carriage clocks to marble, ormolu, porcelain and bronze cases for mantel clocks.
From the late seventeenth century, case making was usually a separate trade from clockmaking, and cabinetmakers followed the fashions of the day. English longcase clocks progressed from ebonised and walnut cases with floral or seaweed marquetry, through lacquered examples, to the mahogany cases of the Georgian period, while country clocks were often housed in plain oak. Bracket clocks moved from ebonised bell tops to balloon, lancet and arched forms. Collectors examine whether a case and movement belong together, a vital question known as marriage: mismatched seatboard positions, altered hoods, filled screw holes or a dial that does not sit naturally behind the glass all suggest the parts began life apart. Original finials, frets and feet, sound proportions and an unspoilt surface add significantly to value, while cut-down trunks and replaced bases are common faults.
