Metronome Gallery :
M101 - M108
Descriptions:
Please take the time to read an items description
carefully before deciding on a purchase. We will try to list any
mechanical faults as well as all cosmetic issues with each
individual unit. If you are purchasing a metronome that will be
used for an occasional practice aid we strongly suggest choosing
a piece that operates as close as possible to 60 beats per
minute. This generally means that the metronome will operate
relatively accurately on all tempo settings down the scale.
Inaccuracies on a units default beats per minute, shown below
can be remedied by simply setting the pendulum weight to account
for the +/- beat, i.e. if a metronome has a target tempo of
60bpm but operates at 64bpm, setting the pendulum weight to
56bpm ( slower tempo ) should result in 60 beats per minute.
It is quite common for units with a bell, to have operational issues on
one of the four settings, if this is a problem it will be
reflected in the metronomes description.
Metronomes sold on this website are NOT intended to be
sold as accurate time keeping devices but as attractive
collectible shelf or display items.
Hold your mouse pointer over a gallery image for an
enhanced zoom, or click 'play' to listen to your selected
metronome.
For
Items M109 - M116, click here.
For
Items M117 - M124, click here.
Paquet Walnut Metronome + Bell (
Sold - Order Number - M101 )
A stunning French metronome in Walnut with fabulous grain,
highly polished and waxed. A great early example of quality
manufacture throughout, hinged door, heavy brass mechanism with
bell, quality brass fittings and professionally finished
woodwork. Unusually this metronome is not maker marked on the
scale although in all likelihood it was manufactured by the Maelzel or Paquet works in France. In working order with a good
tone and reliable beat, there is not a lot to mention regarding
faults.
The original instruction label is still in place on the interior of the
hinged door, the movement weight moves freely and grips as it
should, there are no dents or scrapes worth mentioning. Walnut
in my opinion is easily the best wood to find utilised in
Metronome production, it is hard wearing, durable and extremely
pleasing on the eye. This metronome is probably Victorian, the
quality early mechanism and solid brass fittings would suggest a
date of around 1880.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 47 Minutes
Cramer or R.Cocks Walnut Metronome (
Sold - Order Number - M102 )
When I manage to source metronomes as
nice as this one, they warrant an extra row of pictures. A truly
stunning Victorian metronome by either Robert Cocks or Cramer &
Co of London. Finished in solid walnut, the wood was simply so
good that the firm chose to leave it in it's natural state with
no additional lacquers or wax finish, just glorious natural
walnut. The actual dimensions width wise on this unit is very
large compared to the usual Paquet or post 1900 metronomes,
measuring a good 3/4" larger on the base and is a truly
substantial unit. Everything about this metronome screams
quality, the scale is finished in boxwood and has hand impressed
lettering and numbers, the brass pendulum weight has been finely
milled in solid brass, the inclusion of a large door catch only
seen on early metronomes along with solid metallic brass coated
bun feet.
The size of this metronome is reflected when you compare the cavity and
the very clean mechanism to a Paquet example, which is dwarfed
or somewhat lost in the huge base of this unit. They were cut a
standard size to accommodate both mechanisms with or without a
bell, but although this unit is without a bell, the firm still
went the extra mile when adding the finishing touches. Unusually
the company did not add their name to either the door emblem or
the boxwood scale and the fact that both Cocks and Cramer used
virtually parts it is very difficult today to attribute a maker
unfortunately. On close inspection and on first impressions it
does appear that this metronome has a small crack on the lower
front face, this is not the case but part of the grain of the
walnut. There a couple of minor corner dings and a small crack
on the winding key back edge, but very minor and completely
stable.
The Rolls Royce of metronome production, dating to around 1880-90, you can
read more on the makers on the manufacturers page. Great
metronome with a surprisingly accurate 60bpm and a total
runtime of 40 minutes.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 40 Minutes
Cramer Wood and Company Rosewood Metronome (
SOLD - Order Number - M103 )
A simply stunning Victorian
Rosewood metronome from Cramer and Wood who were a London based
musical accessory and sheet music company established in 1824.
This piece would have been manufactured between 1864 and 1900
and features full heavy duty brass milled fittings, a box wood
hand impressed tempo scale and quality solid Rosewood veneered
woodwork and pendulum backing panels. The mechanism bears a hand
impressed production number "5025". The condition on this
metronome is exceptional considering the units age and has
obviously been well cared for over the years, the interior
mechanism is flawless and required very little cleaning and
maintenance due to the hand fitted snug base door panel which
has done it's job in sealing the compartment from dirt and dust.
The unit does not have a bell but still retains the original winding key
and front panel hole for key storage, the brass emblem and other
exterior brass work have developed a wonderful antiqued handling
patina with much of the original gold gilt finish being absorbed
over the years by the base metal and general handling wear, the
fittings compliment the open grain Rosewood exterior perfectly.
The unit does run a little fast and as such should not be
considered as a working accessory but on the plus side, this is
an indication of a strong spring with the unit still running for
43 minutes at 60bpm from a full wind. All original parts and
fittings, very attractive and finished with the highest quality
materials, I was tempted to keep this one myself!.
Beats per Min: 68
Operating Time: 43 Minutes
Cramer & Co or R.Cocks Victorian Rosewood Metronome +
BELL ( SOLD - Order Number - M104
)
You could quite easily search
for the next 20 years and still not find a Victorian metronome
in the condition that this particular unit displays. It is a
testament to the previous owners and is simply stunning. With
the exception of an age crack to the left exterior Rosewood
panel the metronome is virtually as it left the factory, the
mechanism, completely sealed and protected from the elements by
the lower door is still factory bright and required very little
maintenance.
Manufactured by either Robert Cocks or the Cramer and Co firms
based in London, it would date to the late Victorian period and
has been stuck in a time warp ever since. Starting with the
exterior, there are virtually no faults to list, maybe a slight
scratch to the rear panel ( hardly worth a mention ) and the
previous mentioned age crack to the left panel which is stable
and held internally by construction struts. The fittings are
original and still retain much of the gilt finish and an equal
amount of attractive handling patina. The tempo scale, finished
in top quality boxwood is unmarked, with the upper pendulum
weight still fully glided and displaying the usual hand chaste
and detailed milling evident on all of the London based
metronome pendulum weights. The lower door panel originally
would have held a gauze type material covering the cut out, this
is rarely still in place on any Victorian metronome today as it
was only held by glue and often fell off, on this unit it was
replaced quickly by the original owner with a post card cut out
which has done a very good job of protecting the mechanism.
Operationally it is flawless, an accurate 60 beats per minute
and a fully functional bell. It provides a reliable runtime of
45 minutes which tends to be the normal range for these early
pieces. The metronome also has a hand written 10/89 internally
which would be the production month / year. So not only do you
get a truly outstanding metronome, finished to the highest
quality, in exceptional condition, you also get a precise date
to the units manufacture. October 1889.
I can more less guarantee that you will not find a better
conditioned unit that is 127 years old.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 45 Minutes
Maelzel Mahogany & Burr Walnut Fronted Victorian Metronome
+ BELL (
UNAVAILABLE - Order Number - M105 )
This metronome
is currently not advertised for sale but as a reference only. It
is an original London made Maelzel metronome dating to around
1830. In 1832 it was available for purchase at the time, in two
differing sizes 9" & 12", with or without Ivory inlay and with or
without a Bell. We think the London watchmaker or Horologist that Maelzel used to construct his newly invented metronome in London
was William Prowse ( later Keith / Prowse Company ). Earlier
versions of this metronome dating from 1817 until around 1823
would have all come without the bell assembly, probably with the
majority being the larger 12" size. This particular metronome is
very faintly maker marked to the bottom of the boxwood tempo scale
with W.Prowse & S. Fully working with a decent tempo and a
operational bell that works on all four settings albeit with some
minor pendulum slow down. Rarity = 10/10
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 45 Minutes
Robert Cocks Victorian Walnut Veneered Metronome + Bell (
SOLD - Order Number - M106 )
This early Victorian pre-1868
metronome from the London firm of Robert Cocks came to us via a
contact on the website from a lovely lady located in the UK and
had been in her husbands family for three generations. It has
been very well cared for and operates extremely well, including
a fully operational bell. Finished with a high quality Walnut
veneer over Walnut base and with Rosewood panels either side of
the hand impressed or punched Boxwood tempo scale, externally
the woodwork is very good, it has a slight crack to the lower
rear panel which looks completely stable and could just be an
age related split and loss to the original clear factory lacquer
that once would have covered the entire exterior veneer. This
loss, clearly visible in our pictures due to the use of
artificial light, is really only evident in certain lighting
conditions and angles, however it is visible on close
inspection.
The front door Robert Cocks emblem is of the early style dating the
metronome pre-1868, it also came to us with two wooden front
feet ( one damaged ) and identical to the remaining wooden rear
foot shown in our pictures. This use of early wooden bun feet
was an early production trait of the firm, replaced later by the
use of the round brass feet ( as per our two Cocks replacements
). The use of original wooden feet and early door emblem suggest
that the production date for this particular metronome was
around 1850-1860. It has all of the original factory fire gilt
external fittings in place, still showing much of the original
burnish and even retains the original lower protective door. The
Boxwood, hand stamped tempo scale is clearly legible and marked
to the lower third ' R COCKS&CO LONDON'.
The working bell is crisp and clear and operates well on each of the four
settings, the tempo is excellent, not too over-powering audibly,
it maintains a regular and even tempo and is very well balanced.
Mechanically this piece is very sound and a very good
indicator that the unit has not had excessive use of the course
of 160+ years. Internally there are several hand written numbers
' 056R ' this probably would have helped or aided in the
assembly process and matched the correct wood cuts during
production. All in all, this is a very nice representative
metronome from a Victorian company that is unrivalled in our
opinion for producing the finest quality metronome to date, the
hand selected Walnut front panels to this unit really stand out
and screams quality. Not only is this piece a very attractive
item but you also get a fully functioning mechanism that could
be used without issue in a working environment ( and something
we rarely recommend ). These are becoming extremely hard to
source in any condition, to find one that performs so well is a
rarity indeed and for this, the previous owner and caretaker
should be congratulated.
The metronome operates at 60 beats per minute and for a total
runtime of 45 minutes @ 60bpm. This is typical and the standard
for all Robert Cocks produced metronomes throughout the era.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 45 Minutes
Robert Cocks Rosewood Early Victorian Metronome +BELL (
SOLD - Order Number - M107 )
We had a feeling we were in for a
treat with this early Victorian metronome from the firm of
Robert Cocks based in London. During initial assessment it was
apparent that the mechanism had never been out, cleaned or
serviced at all in the 150+ years of this metronomes life, and
yet, it still operated well at 60 beats per minute and with a
fully operational bell. Covered in dust and debris, heavy lamp
or coal fire residue and general cob webs and debris, it stands
testament to the precision assembly and strength of the hand
fitted mechanism and mainspring. Dating to around 1860-1868,
this unit bears the early door emblem for the Cocks company
reading - " R.COCKS & CO NEW BURLINGTON ST LONDON". We
think that this emblem was modified in 1868 to simply read "
BEST ENGLISH MAKE".
The exterior is a very high quality Rosewood veneer, it is finished to the
highest standard and very attractive and pleasing to the eye.
There is limited damage of any kind, a very small veneer lift to
the rear right edge and a small dent / mark the front
lower left panel but really, these hardly need to be mentioned
considering the metronome's age. A cosmetic section is missing
from the 3/4 length door hinge but it remains operational and
only evident on close inspection. The Brass fittings have a
lovely chocolate coloured aged patina with some of the fittings
still showing much of the original factory fire gilt bright
finish, all parts are original to the piece, as is the clearly
legible boxwood and hand impressed tempo scale. This scale is
clearly marked to the lower third " Robert Cocks & Co London "
and is flanked by solid Rosewood panels .
Operationally and after a thorough clean, disassembly and
service, it is running very well with an excellent consistent
tempo at 60 beats per minute and for a total runtime of 45
minutes, it even performs well on the slowest settings which is
indeed a rarity for Victorian metronome. The bell is loud and
crisp, with the internal bell and hammer having had a polish and
slight readjustment. It operates correctly on all four factory
settings. The underside of the unit is the only thing that lets
this otherwise flawless metronome down slightly, it is missing
the original protective door and has had the brass ball feet
replaced with custom ( and what look the be early ) replacement
brass square sectioned feet added. These would have been added
after the loss of the lower door, as one of the ball feet is
attached to this door and the unit would not have sat correctly
unless all feet had been replaced.
Normally I would say that any Victorian metronome post service had been
given a new lease of life, however this metronome was happily
ticking along regardless of detritus and cob-webs which says a
lot for the probably limited amount of use that his unit has
encountered over it's life-span. It is a strong performer, with
an excellent exterior to match and it is extremely rare to find
these London manufactured Metronome's, still performing as well
without the need for replacement parts or serious re-adjustment.
You would be hard pressed to find another unit of the same age
from any manufacturer that compared as well, not only
functionally but also as a quite obvious quality antique.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 45 Minutes
R.Cocks or Cramer & Co Walnut Veneered Victorian Metronome +BELL (
SOLD - Order Number - M108
)
A great provenance of the
recent history of this unit comes
with this fantastic Walnut veneered metronome from either the
Robert Cocks company or Cramer & Co. It came to us via the
estate of the late Richard Filmer of Ashford, Kent, a founding
member of the Ashford museum and committee member and a
published author and lecturer on the history of the town and
local trades. ( More can be read on the man here:
Mr Richard Filmer ).
In fabulous condition both externally and operationally, the metronome has
obviously been well cared for and dates to around 1870-1890. The
case is a veneered Walnut with no chips or damage and only the
lightest of sun bleaching evident to the left side panel, the
external fittings retain much of the original golden gilt
finish, never cleaned or polished with with even the feet still
bearing much of the factory lacquer. The Boxwood tempo scale has
been hand punched or incised, as with all Cocks / Cramer
metronomes and is flanked by Rosewood panelling, the original
pendulum weight is in place and shows the typical hand chasing
or finishing and slides perfectly. Visually excellent and a
great representative example of what is becoming a very scarce
metronome by either of the Premium London manufacturers,
especially when you consider that probably less than 15,000
where ever manufactured, that coupled with attrition over the
course of 140+ years should give an indication as to just how
rare it is to find them in this condition.
Mechanically it required very little attention, the bell is excellent,
working on all four settings and with minimal impact on the
operation of the tempo or pendulum, the tempo itself is superb,
running at 60 beats per minute for a total runtime of around 43
minutes from a full wind. The action is crisp and loud and with
a strong swing of the pendulum, it even works on the slowest
tempo settings which really is a rarity for any antique
metronome let alone one of this age. The write up for the
metronome is relatively easy for us as there is nothing to list
that is actually at fault, hopefully the pictures, provenance
and operation details are enough to convey exactly what a gem
this piece is, in fact the only negative we can find is that
there is no way to attribute exactly which of the London firms
produced such a wonderful metronome. We should also add that
credit should be given to the former owner Mr Filmer, who not
only did a great job of looking after this piece but also for
his great eye in acquiring it in the first place. It will not be
listed for long.
Edit: We have just noticed a small hand written serial number to the
mechanism compartment of '6104' which ties in perfectly with our
dating estimate.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 43 Minutes
Brass Polishing:
We also offer a brass polishing service, where we remove all
exterior brass fittings and polish to a high sheen which seems
to be popular when matching a metronome to a piano for display
purposes. We do not clean the fittings by default unless we feel
the unit warrants it and any item shown on the website without
cleaned brass-work is sold as viewed. We will however, under
instruction polish fittings once a unit has been purchased for a
standard charge of £9.95. Occasionally metronomes can be fitted
with nickel silver or copper metal-work and in most cases these
are best left to develop a deep handling patina. We will advise
if we do not think that a unit would benefit from this service.
