Wonderful 12” English Fusee Dial Clock with Scarce ‘passing Strike’ by James W. Benson 1880

We present for consideration, this wonderful late Victorian fusee wall clock with 12” dial and rare ‘Passing Strike’ function, by world-renown firm, James William Benson of London. Born in London, Middlesex, 1826, Benson’s famous trading name “J.W. Benson” came into being c1845. The firm went on to deal in jewellery, diamonds, silver, and gold goods along with their core business of making high quality clocks and watches. Benson started up in a partnership with his relative Samuel Suckley Benson and by 1840, they were selling watches under the trading name of “Ss & Jw Benson, Cornhill, London”. However, in Jan 1855 the partnership was dissolved and from 1855 to c1890 James traded under his own name of “J.W. Benson” from different operating premises at 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, City of London (where this clock would have been made). By the 1890’s, the business had become a Limited Company. Bensons held Royal Warrants during the 2nd half of the 19th century, starting in 1876 for Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, the King of Siam, and the King of Denmark. About this time Benson also had premises at the Royal Exchange and Bond Street, but it seems that neither of these addresses appeared on the dials of either their clocks or watches. During 1889, James Benson went on a company buying spree, acquiring brands such as; “Hunt & Roskell of London and Manchester” and “Sir John Bennett of Cheapside”. In 1892, the steam-powered factory in Bell Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill was opened, where Benson transferred his watch finishing operations too. **NB: This factory continued to operate until 1941, when it was destroyed by a WWII bombing raid, resulting in the loss of 12,000 watches. Once the war was over, Bensons never again produced their own watches, preferring instead to assemble them from stock purchased from third-party manufacturers and putting their J.W. Benson name on the dials. Benson clocks however, were always made both the firm from their 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill works.** This clocks solid Oak turned roundhead face, sits over its boxed cabinet. The clock has two original hinged inspection doors, one on each side of the box and a further operable lockable regulator door located at the bottom of the box. The clock retains its original metal dial and artwork, with black painted Roman numerals and Benson’s details, finished with its original pair of blued Lozenge hands, secured with a pinned collet. The clocks dial is then protected by a thick glaze mounted in a superior quality solid brass bezel, incorporating a canted silvered brass fillet to the interior. The clock benefits from a quality 8-day single fusee chain driven movement with ‘passing strike’ function. (Uniquely with Benson passing strike clocks, there are two strikes per hour; one strike at the top of each hour and one strike on the opposite half hour, when the brass hammer hits the top mounted 122mm diameter bronze bell). The movement sits between its rectangular plates and turned pillars and comes with its brass pendulum rod and bob and a fusee brass winding key. This is an exemplary and superbly executed period dial clock of the highest order, from one London’s most notable and celebrated watch and clockmakers of the day. Sold with further research.