Introducing a very special, unique commission! We are delighted to share our latest bespoke piece, a Longcase clock, that we have been designing and making for the last year. This was an absolute pleasure to make, and we are so proud of it. We’re often asked if it is hard to let go of our pieces of furniture, and it is safe to say, this was a tough goodbye!
When designing this piece, we wanted to include intricate detailing. The back panel consists of a radial parquetry pattern, accented with string inlay. This panel is framed by a spiral mosaic made from around 13,000 little tiles of veneer. This same spiral mosaic borders the side panels that feature stunning pomelle sapele, that has a beautiful natural ripple pattern. A brown-oak sunburst adorns the top and bottom panels.
We wanted the outside panels of this Longcase clock to be eye-catching, but not to divert too much attention away from the inside panels. The centre of these panels is beautiful, highly figured brown oak burr, with layers of inlay banding and brown oak. One of our main making philosophies is that the unseen parts of the piece are just as well made as the seen parts, and this is seen in this piece as the back of the clock, is finished with the same panels that are adorning the rest of the clock.
A lot of thought went into the choice of woods for this clock. We decided to use brown oak for the cabinet, but to elevate this already beautiful wood, we added brown oak burr panelling. Brown oak has an amazing warm colour, with a lot of character. To carry on the oak theme, the handle is made from 5000-year-old bog oak, hand-turned to create a tactile, striking doorknob. The inside panels are made from pomelle sapele and fumed pomelle eucalyptus, both of which have a textured look to them, giving a sense of depth and texture to the piece. Elsewhere, the inlay banding is made from ripple sycamore, which in the right light gives of the most amazing, striking ripple.
For this Longcase clock we used a movement from a London based clockmaker called Comitti, that plays a Westminster chime on rods. The dial we designed ourselves and we designed it so that it reflects the background panel, with the same radial lines engraved into it. This gives the whole piece a sense of homogeneity and completeness. The dial has Roman numerals and is made of silver.
While designing this clock, we wanted to create a distinctive clock that has modern elements while also paying homage to the beautiful Longcase clock cabinets of the past. There are classical elements, such as the split roof, inlays and detailed moulding wrapping around the clock. The large glass door brings a touch of modernity to the piece. We used polished brass hinges and a lock on the door to match the brass movement, which also compliments the warm brown oak.
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