American Timekeepers at Auction: Rittenhouse and the Stretch Family

American Timekeepers at Auction: Rittenhouse and the Stretch Family

Written by Christian Answini | Senior Fine Art Specialist

On December 11 our Fine Art auction brings together three remarkable tall‑case clocks from the rich tradition of Philadelphia horology. Each piece bears the name of a master—David Rittenhouse, Peter Stretch and Thomas Stretch—and each tells a distinct story of craftsmanship and culture. Tall‑case clocks, often called grandfather clocks, emerged as coveted household statements in the mid‑eighteenth century. In these auction lots we see the full arc of that tradition: from Peter Stretch’s Quaker refinement to Thomas Stretch’s Queen Anne flourish and David Rittenhouse’s scientific sobriety.
 

The Rittenhouse clock: science meets simplicity

David Rittenhouse (1732–1796) was more than a clockmaker. An avid astronomer and instrument maker, he built orreries that Thomas Jefferson praised as marvels of ingenuity and later served as president of the American Philosophical Society and first director of the U.S. Mint. Despite such accomplishments, he made his living from clocks; after moving to Philadelphia in 1770, clockmaking remained his chief source of income. Scholars estimate he produced about seventy‑five unique clocks, blending precision engineering with understated design. The Rittenhouse example offered here reflects that sensibility. Its straight‑sided walnut case and simple flat hood differ markedly from the carved curvilinear tops favored by the Stretch family. The brass dial has Roman numerals around the outer ring and a smaller inner ring for minutes; spandrels at the corners provide a modest flourish. True to Rittenhouse’s reputation, the beauty lies inside: an eight‑day movement using cast brass plates and steel pinions, an anchor escapement, a rack‑and‑snail striking system and a seconds pendulum for superior accuracy. Clocks like this illustrate how Rittenhouse prioritised function and precision over ornament. Their scarcity—and association with a figure revered by both scientists and patriots—makes them highly sought after.

Peter Stretch: elegance for a new world

Born in England, Peter Stretch (1670–1746) emigrated to Philadelphia in 1702 and soon became the city’s most eminent clockmaker. He and his family produced at least 133 clocks, blending Quaker values with sophisticated design. Winterthur Museum’s celebrated Plumsted clock demonstrates his genius for ornamental cases, but many of his clocks—including the example in this sale—reflect a balance of elegance and restraint. The hood of this Peter Stretch clock features a scrolling sarcophagus top flanked by turned ball finials. Below, an arched molding frames the brass dial. Within the lunette sits a circular dial marked “Strike / Silent,” allowing the owner to silence the hour bell—an amenity prized in refined households. Gilt brass spandrels, cast with scrolls, embellish the corners, while Roman numerals and minute graduations surround a subsidiary seconds ring and a calendar aperture. A silvered oval cartouche bears the maker’s signature. Stylistically, the clock exemplifies Peter’s ability to integrate English design elements with colonial taste. He collaborated with cabinetmaker John Head for many of his cases, commissioning carved hood pediments and fretwork. While less lavish than the Winterthur masterpiece, the clock here displays the same attention to proportion and detail. It represents an early chapter in American decorative arts, when craftsmen adapted European models to a new environment.

Thomas Stretch: refined exuberance

The Stretch tradition continued through Peter’s eldest son, Thomas Stretch (1697–1765). He trained in his father’s shop and became one of Philadelphia’s leading makers. Fewer than a dozen tall‑case clocks bearing his signature are known, which makes this example a rare opportunity

A Queen Anne masterpiece

This clock, shown above in full and in detail, encapsulates Thomas’s penchant for sophisticated design. The hood combines an elegant double scroll pediment with carved flame‑form finials and a sarcophagus‑like element that echoes his father’s designs. An arched molding frames the brass dial, which retains its original gilt spandrels and delicately pierced hands. A raised chapter ring displays Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes; a subsidiary seconds dial sits above a silvered nameplate engraved “Thos Stretch Philadelphia.” In the lunette a strike/silent selector allows the owner to silence the hour bell, while the corners of the dial are embellished with cast gilt ornaments reminiscent of Peter’s work. Beneath the hood, a slender waist door with a stepped arch flows into a molded plinth, and the case rests on ogee bracket feet. Reeded quarter columns flank the door, adding a vertical emphasis. Collectively, these features—scrolling pediment, ball finials, strike/silent function and gracefully proportioned case—demonstrate Thomas Stretch’s Queen Anne sensibility and his ability to refine his father’s vocabulary into a singular statement.

Legacy and public commissions

Thomas’s reputation extended beyond domestic clocks. In 1752 he was chosen to construct a public clock for the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), installing a large clock dial and case on the building’s west gable the following year. The public clock resembled his tall‑case clocks in form, essentially magnifying a domestic design for civic use. Although the original was dismantled in the nineteenth century, a replica installed in 1973 commemorates his contribution to Philadelphia’s skyline. This public legacy makes owning a Thomas Stretch clock akin to owning a piece of early American urban history.

A connoisseur’s comparison

Presenting clocks by Rittenhouse alongside those of Peter and Thomas Stretch invites comparison. Rittenhouse’s clock exemplifies functional simplicity: a plain walnut case and a movement packed with scientific features such as a seconds pendulum and anchor escapement. It embodies the Enlightenment ideals of precision and inquiry, appealing to collectors with a taste for the intersection of science and craft. In contrast, the Stretch clocks exude decorative sophistication. Peter’s clock balances formal English motifs with Quaker reserve. Its strike/silent indicator reflects the customs of refined households, and the gilt spandrels and carved finials speak to a clientele that valued elegance as much as accuracy. Thomas’s clocks, meanwhile, take the decorative impulse further, with scrolled pediments, flame finials and richly colored veneers. Both of his clocks include raised chapter rings, subsidiary seconds dials and strike/silent functions, demonstrating a marriage of beauty and utility.These differences mirror the makers themselves. Peter Stretch, an immigrant craftsman, built his reputation by supplying Philadelphia’s mercantile elite. Thomas, raised in that milieu, brought a more exuberant Queen Anne aesthetic while securing prestigious public commissions. David Rittenhouse, self‑taught and scientifically minded, produced fewer clocks but imbued them with innovations that foretold the future of precision horology. Together, the three represent the breadth of early American clockmaking—ornament, refinement and scientific ingenuity.

Why it matters today

Collectors prize tall‑case clocks not only for their mechanics and beauty but also for the stories they tell. The Winterthur Museum paid over $1.68 million for a Peter Stretch masterpiece, underscoring the market’s appetite for important examples. Rittenhouse’s clocks, with their ties to American science and politics, rarely appear for sale; institutions such as Pennsylvania Hospital and Drexel University hold his more elaborate musical and orrery clocks. Thomas Stretch’s scarcity adds further allure, with perhaps only seven tall‑case examples located in Philadelphia. The December 11 auction offers a rare chance to acquire clocks by all three masters. Whether drawn to Rittenhouse’s intellectual rigor, Peter Stretch’s balanced elegance or Thomas Stretch’s exuberant Queen Anne lines, collectors will find objects that encapsulate the early American pursuit of time, taste and progress.