Current issue of Antiquarian Horology
Volume 47, Issue 3, September 2026
On the front cover: Looking up to the clock in the Torre delle Ore in Lucca, Italy. Slender steelwork and vertical tension-wire guarding provide safe access with minimal visual intrusion into the medieval tower. Photo Bill Wolmuth. An illustrated report of the AHS study tour to Italy is in this issue.
This issue contains the following articles:
From Genesis to Revelations, the first clocks at the new St Paul’s reconsidered
by James Nye, (pp. 321-355)
For around 270 years, the clock removed from St Paul’s Cathedral in 1893 was believed to be the work of Langley Bradley from 1707. But in 1979, research by Heather and Mervyn Hobden unearthed evidence to the contrary. They highlighted the role of clockmakers Richard Street and William Wright rather than Bradley in supplying the clock—and their revisionist account was accepted and taken further by Charles Aked in 1987. In 2002, Brynn Hodgson wrote up Bradley’s work in detail in Antiquarian Horology, providing transcripts of much of the relevant documentation. This article offers a new and different perspective, and suggests an alternative interpretation of the evidence, outlined in the first Bundock-McKay lecture delivered by the author on 29 November 2025. A video of the lecture appears in the Member Area of the AHS website.
Keeping and killing time: changing the clocks on transatlantic liners, 1900–1946
by Kirsten Tambling, (pp. 336-351)
This article considers the history and practicalities of ‘ship’s time’ and ships’ electric clock systems during the high point of commercial steamship travel, from the ‘Atlantic Greyhounds’ of the early Edwardian era to the launch of Cunard’s SS Queen Elizabeth in 1946. It demonstrates that the daily clock adjustment required by changes in longitude was largely self-determined, reflecting the unique circumstances of travellers on ocean-going vessels. Discussing the electric clock systems manufactured by Magneta, Gent, Synchronome and Mercer, it also shows that marine impulse systems were a major field of commercial research and competition, improving markedly from tentative beginnings on board White Star Line’s Titanic and Olympic. It concludes with the ‘Ship’s Position Indicator’ as commercially manufactured by Gent and independently commissioned by Cunard from British artist MacDonald Gill, arguing that such systems imaginatively united the technological achievements of electric clock systems with the (temporary) supremacy of the liner itself.
The metronome or musical time keeper: two late Georgian designs from north-west England
by David Bryden, (pp. 352-362)
Following an introduction about the early history of the metronome, in which Johann Nepomuk Maelzel (1772–1838) was a key player, this article discusses the musical time-beater of Egerton Smith (1774–1841) of Liverpool, published in 1827, but said to date back some thirty years, and the musical indicator of Francis Abbott (1799–1883) of Manchester, of 1833.
Remembering S. C. T. : unravelling the history of an early twentieth-century wristwatch
by Jessie Bitti, (pp. 363-369)
This article follows research into the history of an early twentieth-century wristwatch found in the pocket of a second-hand coat and subsequently offered for sale on eBay. Linking a watch of this age to its original buyer is challenging, however on this occasion a considerable amount of information has been uncovered about this watch, how it came to be purchased, and what it meant to the owner. Read this article here
Preserve and restore 27 Queen Street, Derby, England
by Bob Frishman, (pp. 370-375)
The house at 27 Queen Street, Derby, was built in 1669 by John Flamsteed’s father. During its long history, it was the home of among others John Whitehurst, Joseph Wright and the clockmaker John Smith. It is currently in a derelict state and a local group hopes to acquire, preserve, and restore the site.
Forty-five years with Clocks
by John Hunter, (pp. 382-386)
In this personal memoir, written to mark his retirement after forty-five years as Editor of Clocks, John Hunter traces the magazine’s development from its early years through changing ownership, evolving editorial priorities and the transformation of publishing. Along the way he pays tribute to many of the contributors whose knowledge and enthusiasm helped establish Clocks for a large and diverse international audience.
‘Unfreezing Time #27’ by Patricia Fara (pp. 376-378) (Read the whole series of articles here)
The issue totals 148 pages and is illustrated mainly in colour, and is completed by the regular sections Horological News, Unfreezing Time, Notes from the Librarian, Book reviews, AHS News, Letters and Further Reading.