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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 M101 - M108, click here.
For Items M109 - M116, click here.
Robert Cocks or Cramer Walnut Veneered Victorian Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M117 )
This
lovely early Victorian metronome dates to around 1870, it came to
us via an auction house in Anglesey, Wales. In excellent
condition, this unit was completely un-cleaned, with the mechanism
having never been removed from the housing. The exterior was
covered in a dark coating of coal fire and lamp
oil residue, hiding the glorious grain but at the same time
protecting it. This has been carefully
removed, revealing the original finish and has been rubbed lightly
with a walnut to restore and reinvigorate the dry veneer,
resulting in this very attractive and un-damaged exterior.
The panels are a Walnut veneer with a full walnut door and the tempo scale
flanked by Rosewood paneling, the tempo scale itself is hand
punched with the timings and is a solid boxwood. The construction
of these earlier / mid period metronomes from the London firms are
much heavier and more solidly constructed than the later Victorian
pieces, featuring solid base materials and heavy solid brass
fittings and mechanism parts. This particular unit has all of the
original fittings and feet, lower door and winding key etc. The
brass parts still retain much of the original factory gilt finish,
with the door emblem having been heavily polished over the years
resulting in a very complimentary antiqued appearance. This emblem
was also hidden below old brass polishing powder dust and residue
that had not been cleaned or indeed polished for a very long time.
Interestingly, this unit has a couple of stamped Roman Numerals
groupings onto the woodwork, one under the actual winding key
reading 'VII' and the other to the underside reading 'XVIII'.
While we have seen this before on these early pieces we are still
not sure what exactly the purpose was.
The mechanism is extremely clean, it had been protected very well due to
the original lower door still remaining in place, it has been
fully disassembled, ultrasonically cleaned and degreased and
re-assembled. It supplies 60 beats per minute for a total runtime
of around 42-46 minutes. It has a nice even tempo and a relatively
loud action.
There is no stamped serial number on this unit's mechanism and no maker
designation at all, the door emblem features 'Best English Make'
which we think was a Generic company term incorporated into the
design in 1868. Pre-1868 both firms of Robert Cocks and Co and
Cramer and Co used the companies address around the exterior of
this door emblem. Although we are unable to conclusively nail down
the maker, what is not in doubt is the quality of manufacture.
Using the very best materials and opting for a high quality veneer
finish, both London firms certainly supplied the highest quality
metronome available during the period, anywhere in the World. This
is reflected nearly 150 years later when we come to service units.
They are a joy to restore and very satisfying are the results when
they come out looking and working as nice as this metronome.
Beats per Min:
60
Operating Time:
45 Minutes
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Robert Cocks Victorian Walnut Veneered Metronome for USA Distributor ( SOLD - Order Number - M118 )
The United
States did not have a metronome producer of their own until 1898,
when John Church first set up his small cottage business in Ohio.
We think that this metronome was a Robert Cocks manufactured piece
rebranded and sold to the US market via the Virgil Practice
Clavier Company ( Large 19th Century Piano and Organ, sheet music
producer in the US ). We also found a link suggesting the VPC
company had an outlet for their own wares in London around 1890,
so it is possible that they themselves constructed this metronome
from parts purchased from either Cocks or Cramer.
It is the first one of the kind we have had the pleasure of owning and is
extremely rare in it's own right. Manufactured between 1860-1899
it is a little difficult to tie this one down exactly. It does
have a a handwritten 8/98 ( Oct 1898 ) inside the mechanism
compartment however we have seen this before on units that came to
us with a much earlier production date confirmed. Personally I
would guess at a date of around 1870 based on the construction,
fittings and mechanism style. It has a wonderful antiqued
appearance, years of coal fire or lamp oil residue build up on the
exterior veneered Walnut ( we think ) wood panels has given the metronome a
wonderful sheen only evident on woodwork that has not been cleaned
for decades. The last two picture's in the series shows how this
metronome came to us covered in dust and had obviously been stored
for a number of years. It has suffered a few age related issues
during the 150 odd years it has been around, a large age crack or
split to the rear panel and a minor seam split evident to the left
panel. This split has been re-glued and braced internally by us
since these pictures have been taken and is completely stable. The
door emblems are a fabulous deep chocolate, with evidence of
the original brass lacquered finish just visible on close
inspection, both have a great handling patina and compliment the
overall aged appearance of this genuine collectable very well.
What we especially love about this particular metronome is the hand
punched or impressed boxwood tempo scale, there appears to be
several digits that have been punched incorrectly and re-punched.
It goes to show that although the quality and workmanship is
second to none in regards of materials and construction, even
these highly skilled Victorian craftsmen where prone to the odd
off day or a dodgy Monday. It may also be an indicator of course
that this metronome was indeed assembled by VPC workers rather
than Cocks staff, for who mistakes such as this are rarely
encountered. This tempo scale is clearly marked to the lower third
' The V.P.C Metronome'.
With all original fittings still in place as well as the original winding
key, it is complimented with an extremely clean and reliable
mechanism that again would point towards this unit having been
stored for a number of years. Supplying 60 beats per minute and
for a total run time of 45 minutes, it has a very well balanced
and even tempo. A strong swing to the pendulum and is not too
over-powering audibly. The mechanism itself does not have a serial
number unfortunately which would give an indication as to the
decade in which it was produced but construction and parts wise,
we can confirm that it is quite early. For anybody out there lucky
enough to own an original Virgil Practise Clavier piano, this
accessory is the ultimate companion. In all original condition,
fully working to a very good standard and as rare as they come in
terms of metronome manufacture. Try to find another !. The
underside protective door is also still in place although missing
one of the retaining catches, this does result in it being a
little loose on moving the unit. The rear foot is attached to this
door. We have undertaken only a very minimal clean of this
metronome externally, we preferred to leave the existing patina
that has accumulated over a Century as it is, rather than remove
all character and appeal.
Another high quality rare metronome that could quite easily
qualify for museum residency.
Beats per Min:
60
Operating Time:
45 Minutes
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Paquet Cherry Wood Victorian Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M119 )
We think
that this Victorian French manufactured metronome from Paquet has
Cherry wood paneling, dating to around 1890, the exterior is in
excellent condition with only a few minor marks commensurate with
age. The visible grain is very good and the original polished
clear lacquered finish is largely intact. Visually it is a very
attractive metronome and we have done nothing to the exterior as
it needed nothing doing other than a very light clean, it retains
all original fittings and fixtures, including the feet and
underside protective door. Clearly marked on a fully legible tempo
scale for the Paquet company, the underside has a serial number '
146,385' and confirms it as a Victorian production piece.
The mechanism however has not fared so well, we have had to undertake a
full rebuild on this one as it was completely broken with missing
parts. While that might sound like a negative, it is actually a
good thing in terms of performance. The mainspring comes from a
metronome dating to roughly 50 years later, again a Paquet unit.
It therefore, has been subjected to a lot less wear and
compression than the original would have had ( if it was working )
and has given this particular metronome a new lease of life. With
the exchange of the mechanism comes a new winding key, the
original again was lost to time but not only that, the
configuration or design was changed by Paquet in the later years
to require the keys to be threaded, a normal brass replacement
winding key usually supplied by us would now not fit this
replacement mechanism.
In terms of performance, it is very good, a nice loud audible
tempo, even and well balanced and supplying 60 beats per minute.
It runs for a total of 45 minutes, is consistent and has a strong
swing to the pendulum. This piece has survived 130 years amazingly
well, we suspect that it was stored for many years in a
non-working state which in turn protected the exterior. Here is
your chance to own a metronome produced in the Victorian era and
yet has the performance of a later production Paquet metronome.
The feet could possibly do with a repaint which we are quite happy to
undertake if required, however we think they are equally in
keeping with the overall look of the metronome in original
condition.
Beats per Min:
60
Operating Time:
45 Minutes
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Paquet Early Victorian Rosewood Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M120 )
The French firm
of Paquet manufactured over 2 million metronome's between 1846 -
1960, this particular metronome is numbered '6045'. Date wise, we
would place this one around 1850, maybe 2 or 3 years either side.
Historically it is quite an important piece, very few examples
bearing the early external fittings, parts and mechanism still
exist today, with this unit being only the second we have ever
offered from Paquet that pre-dates 1860. We know that the Paquet
firm opened a manufacturing factory in Beaumont Sur Oise in 1867.
It is therefore possible to accurately date the manufacture of
this particular metronome from between 1846 - 1867 and to a place
in Paris that Philippe-Nicolas Paquet would have worked, managed
and started to fully establish the Paquet company and brand,
before becoming too large for the Rue Saint Louis Address.
Externally it is fine condition, the Rosewood woodwork and grain is
excellent, with no deep scrapes or dents /splits, the
metronome has had the top clear lacquer coat reapplied by us, due
to peeling and an initial unsightly appearance. It has had several
coats of gun stock oil applied and now has a clean and fresh
looking exterior with a gloss and well protected finish. The brass
early Paquet door emblem is still in place with minor damage and a
slight missing piece to the bottom, but you would never know
unless we had mentioned it here. It reads " Metronome Paquet HGer
Mgers 29 Rue St Louis ( marais ) " , a shot of the actual premises
is also shown below taken from current day, Google maps. The
serial number is stamped onto the brass mechanism base plate, this
practice stopped later in production when the serial number
started to be stamped onto the base woodwork. A great thing we
spotted about this early metronome is the fact that the underside
shows evidence of a trait that was used by Jean Wagner workers on
the very first metronomes ever manufactured by and for Maelzel in
1815. This involved hand writing the serial number across the
underside lower door and foot slat in a certain style. This can
still be observed on this metronome or at least, half of it can.
Paquet took over the Maelzel factory in 1846, so some of the
original Maelzel workers were obviously still employed when Paquet
took over. The tempo scale on
this early metronome may be ivory or faux ivory, it is in very
good condition with all lettering and numbering having been
individually hand punched, it is clearly marked to the lower third
'Paquet A Paris' . We have added original period style replacement
feet and a correct period replacement winding key, also we have
added a rough underside protective door, not intended to be an
ideal match but to add a little protection for the original
mechanism and to provide a better audible return to the pendulum
action.
Operationally and considering the metronome in in excess of 160 years old,
it performs quite well. It has a nice audible tone and is well
balanced, the swing is not the strongest we have encountered but
this is totally normal for a metronome of this age, wear to the
main cog soft brass teeth is unavoidable and this is reflected in
the strength of the pendulum swing although it does still maintain
60 beats per minute and a regular beat. The upper pendulum weight
is original to the metronome but was a little slack on sliding on
the pendulum arm, this was due to worn retaining screws on the
tensioning spring so we have added resin to either screw in order
to rectify the problem and to stop the weight losing tension
during operation. The mechanism has been fully stripped and
thoroughly cleaned, the parts that complete this mechanism are
exquisitely early, with many parts being hand cut and filed, the
main brass cog is solid brass, this changed later in production to
having the circular plate that holds the teeth cut out to save on
materials. It is a transitional mechanism in that Paquet further
modified and simplified all of the parts shown on this example,
not only to save on materials but also labor. This is a Victorian
mechanism constructed well before Paquet standardization and
machine cut parts.
Due to the age of this piece and the fact that the mainspring is probably
a little more tired than later examples, we would not recommend
this metronome as a regular practice aid, however as an investment
and occasional use, collectors grade piece, you would be hard
pressed to find a more representative Victorian metronome than
this one. Visually it is very attractive, fully protected from the
elements and handling wear and mechanically running for a total
runtime of around 45+ minutes.
Please note : Since writing the above description the upper
pendulum weight has been swapped, with an identical early
replacement as we were not entirely happy with the possible
longevity of our fix on the original.
Beats per Min:
60
Operating Time:
45+ Minutes
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Paquet White Oak Metronome + Bell ( SOLD - Order Number - M121 ) REWORKED
Probably
constructed using White Oak and quarter sawn panels, gives this
metronome from Paquet a blonde or pale look to the reworked
woodwork. It came to us with minor surface scratches and handling
wear to the polished or lacquered original finish which was quite
unsightly so it had the fittings removed, was completely sanded
back and once smooth had several quality coats of gun stock
varnish or oil applied. This gives a semi gloss sheen and high
protection from handling wear and from the elements and water
damage. The exterior fittings are almost jet black with patina and
from handling and compliment the light finish of the woodwork very
well, the card tempo scale is clean and fully legible and
unusually not marked with the Paquet trademark symbol to the lower
third. We are however fairly confident that this is a Paquet
metronome going by the serial number of 652,630 which dates the
manufacture to around 1920.
It is an excellent example, both visually and mechanically, having a
working bell on all four settings, it has a very loud and audible
ring or tone and one of the better bells that we have encountered
of any metronome that has passed through our hands. It still
operates comfortably even on the slowest pendulum setting, which
is a good indicator of having a strong and not overly used
mainspring. The tempo is good, with a nice strong swing to the
pendulum arm and is very well balanced. It supplies 60 beats per
minute and with a total runtime of 45+ minutes from fully wound.
The door does sit slightly off center when placed, we could have rectified
this by removing and reseating the door retaining pins, but this
can cause more issues with chips to the lower panel, than it
actually solves, hence it is being sold as it is. It is not too
bad and really not evident at all unless you look for it but
needed to be mentioned, other than that this metronome is a great
original example, still having all original parts and fittings to
include the underside feet and lower protective door ( so often
missing ). A great looking unit, one of the best sounding bells we
have encountered, supplying an accurate tempo and given a new
lease of life with a full exterior sympathetic rework, what's not
to like?.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time:
45+ Minutes
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Robert Cocks or Cramer & Co Mid Victorian Walnut Metronome +BELL ( SOLD - Order Number - M122 )
Performance
wise, this lovely Victorian Walnut metronome is outstanding. You
would be hard pressed to find another that operates as well as
this one from the 19th Century anywhere and considering it is 134
years old, it is a testament to the quality workmanship of either
of the London based firms of Cramer or Cocks. Unmarked in terms of
being able to attribute it 100% to a manufacturer, we are fairly
confident that it would have been Robert Cocks, and is numbered
internally 18/85 for 1885. This unit came to us from an auction
house in Buckinghamshire UK and needed a fair amount of work in
order to restore it, not only functionally but also the exterior
appearance. The woodwork had become very dry and tired but was
generally still in very good original condition. Rather than apply
or totally rework the exterior we have simply used a walnut to rub
over the entire piece, replacing some of the natural oils into the
grain, which at the same time removes much of the old coal fire
grime and lamp oil residue ingrained onto the exterior. You will
have to take our word for it, but the transformation was quite
amazing. There are a couple of old seam splits which we have glued
/ braced internally along with a re-glue of the critical seams for
stability, these cracks are now totally stable. The woodwork
itself is still a little dry in places and evident when holding
the metronome in a certain light / angle, this should become less
evident over time with handling and dusting etc but should be
completely low maintenance in terms of looking after the finish.
No top coats or varnish, stain or any type of finish applied to
this one, just pure open grained Walnut with a Burr Walnut veneer
applied to the front panel and door.
The Tempo scale is Boxwood, hand impressed by a worker using punch tools
to apply the tempo grading's and timings, either side of the tempo
scale are Rosewood panels with a key storage hole to the lower
right. The scale is unmarked and in first class condition. The
brass exterior fittings still hold much of the original fire gilt
along with the door emblem, the original winding key lost to time
but a nicely matching replacement is being offered and shown in
the pictures below.
The mechanism:
When we started work on this unit, it quickly became evident that
the metronome had been attic or cupboard stored in a dry location
for a very long time. It had more wildlife in the mechanism
compartment than you would find at Longleat. We removed numerous
cobwebs, dead spiders and chrysalis larvae and all moving parts of
the mechanism had completely seized, furred and covered in decades
of dust and old oiling attempts and the usual Victorian residue
from fires etc. However, the mainspring was strong and working and
after a full service and comprehensive cleaning, the mechanism
immediately performed as though it had just left the factory.
No re-alignment necessary, no re-balancing, this lovely
piece was just waiting for somebody to show it some love and
attention. It has possibly one of the strongest actions or swings
to the pendulum that we have encountered on a Victorian metronome,
is extremely well balanced and supplies a very pleasing audible
tempo all the way down the scale and even on the slowest settings.
The bell assembly, shown below in 'cleaned condition' was equally
as defunct and completely seized up. It features one of
Robert Cocks earlier style Bronze cast bells which supply a
fantastic tone / return. Again, once cleaned and re-aligned, it
now runs correctly on all four settings and has an exceptional
ring and reverb. We will never know who the worker was that
assembled and constructed this piece, what we can tell you however
is that it is virtually flawless in terms of the mechanism. The
only other thing we need to mention is the audible return of the
winding key. It is a little strange on this unit, and not what we
usually observe on a Cocks metronome. There is nothing wrong with
it and completely by design however it is a little high pitched
rather than the usual click click click. The original feet and
base are still retained.
An outstanding Victorian metronome in A1 mechanical condition, it
could be used in a semi-professional work environment without any
issues ,and has pedigree coming from the finest metronome
manufacturer of the 19th Century, did we also mention that it is
134 years old?, had limited use throughout it's life and is keen
to impress!.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time: 45 Minutes
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Robert Cocks or Cramer Rosewood Victorian Metronome + Bell ( SOLD - Order Number - M123 ) REWORKED
With the serial
number '7044' stamped onto the mechanism, this London
produced Victorian metronome from either Robert Cocks or the
Cramer and Co firms was manufactured around 1870-1885. It has a
solid Walnut door, Rosewood veneered, with Rosewood paneling
either side of the hand impressed or punched Boxwood tempo scale.
The original exterior Rosewood panels came to us in a dry and
stained condition, covered in what appeared to be black tar
substance, we had no choice but to rework the finish on this
particular unit. The metronome itself was non-working, although
the mainspring was still functional. Missing wood sections from
the underside with damaged original brass bun feet that needed
reworking.
It also had a non-working bell assembly, which we have corrected and
re-enabled to a working condition on all four settings. We removed
all exterior fittings and left them in their original condition
other than a gentle clean, while we reworked the woodwork. The exterior has been lightly sanded
and refinished with several high quality coats of gun stock oil
finish, which provides waterproofing and handling protection. On
these early veneered metronomes you are a little restricted as to
what can be done with the exterior due to the thickness of the
quality veneer, so this unit has not been grain filled. This means
that the exterior gloss finish is not completely smooth which
should be evident from the pictures shown below. It is a typical
London manufactured metronome, featuring a quality bronze cast
bell, which audibly has a wonderful tone, the mechanism is solid
brass, finely milled and assembled and with chrome plated screws
and brass pins for solid fixing, the exterior fittings would once
have been gold washed or held a gold burnish, this is still
evident on close inspection. There is a hairline crack to the
inside of the door which has been glued and appears to be stable
and a small wood section missing from the metronome's pyramid
topper to the front.
It supplies 60 beats per minute and operates with a fairly loud very
audible tempo and fully working even on the slowest
settings, it does have a caveat however and one that does not
become immediately evident listening to the tempo in the clip
below. It does have a slightly variable swing to the pendulum.
This is probably due to a mainspring issue and at some point the
metronome has probably been stored for a period of time while
fully wound or compressed. For this reason it is probably best not
to consider this metronome as a regular practice aid however the mainspring is still strong enough to power the
bell assembly, which is always a good sign when it comes to the
strength of a
metronome's mainspring. The winding key is an old
replacement but came with the metronome and is a good aged
replacement from around the same period of the metronome's
manufacture. The bell is the outstanding feature of this
metronome, along with the visual appearance and fantastic aged
wood grain. It has been given a new lease of life. Although
our homepage makes it look as though these London made metronome's
are fairly common, we are yet to see one of these with a serial
number higher than 9000, they are becoming increasingly hard to
find in any condition. We hope that the work that has gone into
this one means that it is around for another generation at least.
Did we mention that it is 140 years old?.
Beats per Min: 60
Operating Time:
43 Minutes
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Paquet Rosewood Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M124 )
A strong
performer and in original condition, this metronome dates to
around the turn of the Century 1900. It came to us with the
mechanism caked in debris, dust and old oiling attempts but was
still happily working, which is always a good sign of a strong
main spring. Once thoroughly cleaned, it started performing almost
as well as it would have when it left the factory over 115 years
ago, with a strong and even swing to the pendulum and a nice loud
and even tempo. The exterior woodwork is Rosewood, slightly light
faded but still retaining much of the top factory clear lacquer
that has done a good job of protecting the surface, there are a
few old abrasions or poor cleaning attempts which have marked the
finish, but these are light and can really only be seen as such
when inspected from a close perspective.
The winding key is an aged replacement added by us to match the existing
fittings and the feet to the underside have been repainted. We
have also re-glued the seams to the inner compartment and the foot
slat to the underside, which is cracked and split, but now totally
stable, the lower protective mechanism door is lost to time but
does not impact operation of the metronome at all. The card tempo
scale is a little grubby which is to be expected considering the
age but still fully legible with no poor cleaning attempts.
The major plus point for this particular metronome is the performance, it
has a strong mechanism and a decent even and audible tempo, it
runs for exactly 45 minutes, which was the factory standard for
Paquet and provides an accurate 60 beats per minute. It runs, even
on the very slowest pendulum setting which is a rarity for any
antique metronome. It would have been relatively easy for us to
rework the exterior of this unit, it has fabulous grain and would
have cleaned up very well, however it is equally appealing in our
opinion with the antiqued faded and slightly worn / used look that
only comes from handling and use over many years, it is still and
attractive metronome to look at and one that features high quality
wood paneling and fittings, from the height of Paquet production
right at the end of the Victorian era.
Beats per Min:
60
Operating Time:
45 Minutes
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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.