Andrew Dickie, Edinburgh – 1770
£5,650.00
It is uncommon to encounter a square brass dial on an Edinburgh longcase of the third quarter of the eighteenth century, the preference in the city tending firmly toward the arch dial by this date. The signature placed close to the outer margin of the dial suggests that this format may have represented a departure for Andrew Dickie himself. Interestingly, this is one of two square-dial Edinburgh longcases presently in our collection — the other being a regulator by James Bruce — both sharing an almost identical approach to construction, with substantial plates and well-proportioned wheelwork characteristic of the city’s best makers.
We have handled several clocks by Dickie over the past three decades, and this example is entirely consistent with his reputation. The brass dial is finely engraved, retaining its original cut steel hands of pleasing form and proportion. The movement is executed to a superior standard, with careful finishing throughout. In this instance the dial has been left untouched; its mellow tone sits harmoniously with the case and enhances the overall integrity of the piece.
The mahogany case has acquired a rich chestnut colour and natural patination, and its proportions are particularly pleasing — neither overbearing nor slight. At 211 cm in height it presents with an elegance that reflects the restrained confidence of late eighteenth-century Edinburgh workmanship. A handsome and increasingly uncommon example of Scottish clockmaking.
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