The Rotherham family played a prominent role in British watch and clock history - production at their West Midlands facility extending from the late Victorian era through the early 1960s. From the late 1920s onward, Rotherham & Sons focused on high-grade escapements, timers and gauges. The company didn't commence manufacture of domestic clocks until Britain began to recover from WWII. Rotherham unsuccessfully competed with long-established F.W. Elliott of Croydon.
Inexplicably, Rotherham clock dials do not carry the maker's name or country of origin. However, manufacture is well documented in Clockmaking in England and Wales in the Twentieth Century by John Glanville and William Wolmuth. Kevitt Rotherham, Chairman and Managing Director of the firm for 68 years, died in 1950. Production of clocks ceased not long after his passing.
I've encountered only a few Rotherham shelf clocks - all with uninspired traditional wood cases. This handsome clock is noteworthy for use of then cutting edge materials, innovative finishes and minimalist aesthetic - completely outside Rotherham production norm!
The robust movement with thick brass plates, polished steel arbors and cut pinions, and gilded 11-jewel lever platform is a showpiece of traditional British horology.
NOTE: The clock is in running
order. However, to perform reliably for eight days and hold accurate
time, it should be overhauled. Price
includes complete disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning/ rinsing in waterless
solutions, addressing wear, and lubrication with high-grade Swiss oils and grease. Restoration will provide reliable operation for several years. Labor and material cost for professional overhaul of comparable clocks averages $375.