Improving Time
by Bob Brooke

As the new Republic of the United States of America began to take shape, innovations in design and craftsmanship began to appear. One of these was the banjo clock, the first American 8-day wall clock, the first American wall clock to have the pendulum suspended in front of the weight in the case, and the first American wall clock to have the weight attached to a pulley.

Though it has become known as a banjo clock, Simon Willard, its inventor and noted early American clockmaker, first referred to it as his Patent Timepiece, He created the first one in Roxbury, near Boston, Massachusetts. Willard, originally of Grafton, Massachusetts, patented his clock in 1802. He reduced the brass clock mechanism to a much smaller size, thus saving brass which was in scarce supply in the early 19th century.

He used the shape of a traditional wheel barometer for his clock case, which he built by hand, to order. By 1805 the clockworks, as well as standard cases, could be produced in quantity, reducing the cost of the clock. Its small size meant a much lower price of $30, although this was still a great deal of money at the time.

Because a banjo clock normally lacked a striking mechanism and indicated time only by its hands and dial, some horologists called it a timepiece rather than a true clock.

The banjo-style wooden case usually featured a round opening for a painted dial, a long-waisted “throat,” and a rectangular pendulum box with hinged door. Reverse-painted panels ornamented both the throat and door, and curved and pierced brass frets usually flanked the case. A finial mounted atop the case usually took the form of a cast-brass eagle or a turned, giltwood acorn.

Below, a narrow trunk, slightly wider at the bottom than the top, protected the weight, and at the bottom a wider compartment contained the lower part of the pendulum. Slender concave metal ornaments connected the three main parts of the clock. The design of Willard’s clock was perfect from the beginning.

Willard's 3-foot tall banjo clock was a lightly built, compact wall timekeeper that was both accurate and dependable. It was economical to produce, graceful in appearance, and usually lacked hour-striking and alarm mechanisms. Weight-driven, it contained a small brass movement which further reduced its size and weight. The movement had been calculated so that a small drop of the weight—only 15 inches compared to about 6 feet for a tall case clock—would keep it running for 8 days. For ease of maintenance, Willard hung the clock’s pendulum in front of the movement, not behind, as in tall case or Massachusetts shelf clocks, an arrangement that American clockmakers soon widely adopted.

A typical banjo clock featured a white, circular face, painted with black Roman numerals, that flows into a long, tapered neck, which met at a square base. It also featured an elaborately painted hinged door of the base, often painted with a beautiful landscape, a naval scene, or an ornamental pattern. Thin pieces of curved brass often ran down the necks of these clocks, and brass sculptures, most commonly of an eagle, routinely crown their tops.

Willard’s Patent Timepiece revolutionized the clock industry, becoming the most popular clock in the United States. However, he didn’t apply for his patent until 1802, and by that time his competitors had already started to produce clocks similar to his. The clock became so popular that Willard didn’t even pursue these patent infringements. His company eventually produced over 4,000 banjo clocks.

Willard permitted his numerous clockmaking relatives, former apprentices, and other clockmakers to produce banjo clocks following his original design. Variants of the banjo-style clock made by others include examples with square or diamond-shaped dials, and the extremely opulent, heavily gilt "girandole" style.

Gideon Roberts, a Revolutionary War veteran from Bristol, Connecticut, made banjo clocks more affordable. He replaced the brass movements with less expensive wooden ones and also used painted paper dials.

Banjo clocks were popular for 60 years. In the 1840s, railroads began using them at their stations. Some banjo clocks made for the railroads reached a whopping 7 feet high. But by the 1860s, banjo clocks became less desirable, and soon their production came almost to a complete halt.

Unfortunately for collectors of antique banjo clocks, many Willard banjo clocks do not carry their maker’s name, so it’s difficult to identify who made them.

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