A private collection of antique grandfather clocks and clock parts by Wiltshire clock makers will go on sale next week at RWB Auctions.
The clocks come from makers who lives and worked in Devizes, Royal Wootton Bassett and Calne and as a collection could make more than £1,000.
These items are being sold by local collectors and experts Paul Succony and his wife Jan, who live in a village near Devizes, marking a rare opportunity for buyers to acquire pieces rooted deeply in local history.
Focusing exclusively on antique clocks made in Wiltshire, the couple’s collection has been assembled over 35 years and is almost certainly the biggest in the world within this specialist field. What began as a personal purchase grew into a lifelong passion for sourcing, restoring and researching timepieces created by local craftsmen, each clock reflecting the heritage and identity of its maker and place of origin.
“My wife had a vision of sitting beside a log fire, reading Thomas Hardy novels with the reassuring tick of a grandfather clock in the room. So 35 years ago I bought her a grandfather clock. That was the start of it. We embraced the challenge of finding clocks made by local makers and restoring them as we both love local history, and each clock has its own identity,” Paul said.
“Over time we began to sell some to serious collectors where the name of the maker was important to them. For us, it’s always been more of a hobby and the joy has been in the challenge of finding the clocks and discovering the story of each clockmaker. Today we have well over 60 clocks and we’ve sold several to buyers across the globe who want to reconnect with their own history or heritage.”
As a result Paul has also become recognised as an authority on Wiltshire clockmakers, contributing to specialist articles and books on the subject and helping to document this niche area of regional craftsmanship.
Now in his 70s and still working as a consultant in the food industry, Paul and Jan have decided it is time to release part of the collection, particularly clocks that are yet to be restored.
“I’m now well over 70 and I’m still working as a consultant in the food sector and we felt it was time to move on some clocks from the part of our collection which still need to be restored. We do have to consider the future and it’s not practical for us to keep all that we have. It was this which prompted us to part with some of our collection,” he said.
The sale on Wednesday March 4 at RWB Auctions is expected to attract strong interest from collectors, historians and enthusiasts eager to secure a rare example of a Wiltshire-made grandfather clock, many of which seldom come to market.
“These are interesting local pieces which will attract local collectors or those with local ties who may live overseas or who have a connection with these places. Two items come from very small hamlets – Lydeway and Horton – so these are truly niche,” said junior auctioneer and valuer Will Walter.
RWB Auctions hosts regular sales that attract buyers from across the UK and the world. For more information visit https://rwbauctions.com/
Article from Scott Media
