Barometers Realm

This Alarm Clock Style Aneroid Barometer c. 1870, signed by George Wilson, is crafted in an elegant Victorian style with elements of Neo-Rococo, lending the piece the refinement and decorative richness characteristic of the late 19th to early 20th century. The main case material is bronze with a warm golden hue.

The case design clearly reflects the watchmaking origins of its maker. Its form resembles a scaled-down table alarm clock or an enlarged pocket chronometer—the so-called goliath pocket watch, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This choice of form is deliberate: George Wilson of Penrith was a watchmaker, and the barometer inherits familiar horological shapes to emphasize its connection to precision mechanics and accurate measurement.

Around the circumference of the case run two wide relief bands in the form of garlands of stylized leaves, executed in nickel silver (German silver). Between these decorative bands are two narrow strips with a “beaded” motif—chains of tiny pearls encircling the case and adding a touch of jewelry-like refinement.

At the top of the case is an elegant handle with faceted sides and a central decorative element in the form of a stylized acanthus. Along the inner perimeter of the geometric frame runs a recessed channel fitted with a nickel silver strip. This strip is not smooth: it is densely patterned with short parallel chisel-like lines, set perpendicular to the direction of the border. At the corners, the lines subtly change direction, “flowing” around the angles so the pattern appears continuous. The same ribbed inlay is repeated on the feet at the base of the case.

The four feet have a complex geometric profile and terminate in nickel silver acanthus leaves. They are both stable and decorative, echoing the design language of clock stands from the turn of the century.

The hinged back cover is conceived as a full decorative medallion: the central section is adorned with symmetrical floral embossing in nickel silver, composed of scrolls and leaves, while the rim features an ornamental band in silver-toned metal with a wave-like motif—a free interpretation of the Greek meander. This detail mirrors the design of fine alarm clocks and table clocks, in which the back cover was often as richly decorated as the front.

The barometer has a pristine white enamel dial with a concentric barometric scale in London inches of mercury, ranging from 24 to 31. The outer ring of the scale bears detailed weather condition terms. The reverse side of the dial carries the maker’s signature. The dial is protected by a flat mineral glass with a faceted edge, set in a brass bezel secured to the case by two small screws. The glass is fitted with a standard brass trend pointer, operated by a distinctive knurled knob.

The barometer is driven by a concealed Redier-type movement, likely imported by Wilson from France. This mechanism operates on the principle of a toothed rack transmitting the movements of the Vidie-pattern aneroid capsule walls to a gear, which in turn rotates the pointer shaft.

The hinged back cover provides easy access to the adjustment screw for the barometric mechanism.

This instrument is a direct reflection of the maker’s professional journey: a craftsman trained in the art of watchmaking translated the aesthetics of chronometers and alarm clocks into the realm of meteorological instruments, creating a barometer that is not only a measuring device but also a work of horological art.