Antique Wood Metronome de Maelzel by Seth Thomas Clocks in No 5 Mahogany, Fully Restored, Brass Trim

This is a fully serviced, mahogany finished Antique Seth Thomas wind-up Metronome, my choicest example in this model. It is a real treasure to find and was made I think in the 1920s, however Seth Thomas started producing metronomes in the late 1800's so it could be older. From experience, this is a Model No 5, but is unmarked as such. They are known for their high-quality clocks, and their quality shows in the beauty and performance of this metronome! This fully restored metronome runs strong like it was brand new. It is complete with no missing parts, and a solid case with no loose parts or splits - even the wood feet pads are solidly attached to the bottom to avoid loss. There are only a few finish touch-ups, a solidly repaired seam separation (lower left panel edge), and bumps in the original finish as you would expect in an antique instrument that has been gently used. They blend in so well that it was hard to get them all to show in the pictures. You will probably not find another one of these this old in this nice of condition with the movement already serviced and brass trim lacquered to prevent future tarnish. Those few sellers that actually do this detailed movement service will say so in their listings. The mahogany stained wood case is made out of solid wood (no veneers) and has a pretty deep reddish glow throughout, with a nice grain. The original finish is semi-glossy smooth with a very faint alligator (rare, usually others have some heavy wrinkling all over) and hides fingerprints well. It still retains its original shine which you should be able to see in the close up pictures. The original front dust cover door is a perfect match to the rest of the case. Since this is an antique, there are some signs of age related usage on the instrument, but no abuse. For viewing all pictures, I made composites in 2 photo slots.

It has a Mint condition, signed "ST" in a diamond trademark beat scale that is a very clean, readable original beat scale, with slight age appropriate fading, see close-up. FYI: If you don't see this ST logo at the bottom of the beat scale, it is not a Seth Thomas. The wood on either side of the beat scale is coated in Adamantine, the same material Seth Thomas used in their mantel clocks starting in 1882. It has a nice plaque on the front made of solid brass and signed "Metronome De Maelzel, France, Amerique, Belgique, Paris, Hollande, Angleterre", and the Made in USA movement that runs like new. Only the movement says Made in the USA, so I'm not sure if the case was made here or in France. It has a wide, very visual pendulum swing with its sliding weight to adjust the tempo and a very even, loud ticking sound as it runs. Note: To keep the original weight gripping the stick, there is a thin spring strip that maintains pressure. The weight should only be nudged up and down with pressure applied along the direction of travel. NO pressure should ever be applied pushing the top half inward towards the center, as that would strain the spring strip and cause it to lose grip. Of course, this weight does stay up by itself on the stick as it runs, which is not always the case on other "as found" metronomes. Only a classic mechanical metronome produces the solid and desirable "wood block" ticking sound.

The brass movement was just cleaned, adjusted and oiled, saving you at least $150 over other "as found" metronomes. The movement's condition is actually more important to a musician than the look of the exterior case. Note the lack of lint and built up grease and dirt on the close-up picture of my metronome movements that you might find on other seller's metronomes described as being in very good working condition (if you are lucky to even get a close up picture of the movement). Not many of the other metronomes you may find elsewhere get the proper kind of servicing of the movement and you may soon have issues with those other metronomes that have not been serviced. This is a labor intensive service where the entire movement was disassembled, cleaned, each gear was inspected for damage, pivots polished, hard brass bushings added where needed (pressed in from the inside of the movement), mainspring removed, cleaned and lubricated, and re-assembled. This was done for you so you can enjoy it right away rather than waiting on a repair shop. After cleaning, the entire movement was oiled with synthetic clock oil, and then tested. It will not need cleaning again for about 10 to 20 years. Everything remains original to this movement to preserve its antique value, including the mainsprings used by Seth Thomas to ensure very accurate time keeping between windings. The mainspring barrel is unique in that there is a Geneva stop usually found in high quality clocks and music boxes. That feature is designed to help prevent over winding, and if the instructions are followed to wind slowly, stopping when resistance is felt, you should have trouble free service for years to come. This instrument was also put in even beat and just calibrated at 80 beats per minute where it is most accurate and will run consistently strong for about 3000 beats per full winding due to the fact that there is a Geneva stop. For neighboring speed settings, it is remarkably accurate for a 100 year old antique mechanical metronome, but no mechanical metronome will be as accurate as an electronic one: the tolerance is actually spot on at 40 BPM and 160 BPM and only 1% fast at 200 BPM settings. The best calibration I have ever seen in an antique metronome, but the accuracy varies slightly between fully wound and unwound. Everything was measured with a precision clock repair timing machine. Most importantly: It keeps an even beat whether the sliding weight is set to 40 or 208 - a challenge to find in other metronomes described as "working perfectly".

Has the original dust cover door (it still fits perfectly over the opening, see pictures), and a hook and loop latch that holds the door securely closed, and two steel pins on the bottom that fit in the base of the metronome. Has a 100% complete but brief instruction label on the cover which is the original label and is correct for this type of movement and firmly attached. There is age related fading in the label. This one is rare to have an instruction label, many are torn or missing by now, or the entire cover is missing. The winding key is original and it has the original brass ring next to the case under the key to protect the finish. Even the tiny finish nails holding the brass hardware are brass and all original! All exterior brass parts have been polished to look like new and re-lacquered to prevent tarnish. The removable bottom cover is custom made to resemble the original cover, and it appears to be very solid. The repair label there on the inside, and the cover fits well, being held in place by a brass latch so it won't fall off accidentally. Many of these covers are lost by now, so it is rare to have the original bottom cover present. The metronome measures about 9 inches high (as measured from the feet to the very top tip) and 4.5 inches wide at the base.

Many music teachers recommend the mechanical metronome due to its visual swinging pendulum similar to the way the music conductor moves his or her hands. I'm a musician myself and find this fact makes it easier to work with than using an electronic one. This metronome must have been cherished its entire life, and it is looking for a new home on your piano or organ, and most of all, it runs great! Perfect for the collector, or for music lessons. This would also make a great present!

If you are looking to purchase a Maelzel type metronome to use in your own music practice sessions, you have come to the right shop! My restored metronomes keep an even beat when put on a level surface whether the sliding weight is set to 40 or 208 - a challenge to find in other metronomes described as "working perfectly". Note that I'm also a musician in the Livingston Symphony Orchestra who uses a mechanical metronome, so I know what it takes to properly service a metronome. I have yet to find a clock repair horologist that does BOTH the professional repair of mechanical metronomes AND actually use a mechanical metronome for their own music practicing.

This is a premium metronome, unmatched by anything made today. The newer ones from Germany or France being made now or within the last decade or so, tend to use plastic in the movement and/or case and feel cheap. Those ones are not built to last and are not able to be fully disassembled for servicing in the future. Also, with their plastic gears having their mainsprings enclosed in plastic barrels, those cannot be lubricated without eventually damaging the plastic. This American made Seth Thomas metronome listed in my shop is for one made of all wood, brass and steel, with no plastic anywhere!

These vintage metronomes amaze me, they are built to last - can you imagine any other mechanical consumer product still working well after 90 or so years? The truly amazing thing is with proper care they will work easily for another 100 years, as these movements are made to be serviced as easily or easier as other American clocks from long ago! There are no plastic parts in these movements, only brass plates and gears with steel pinions, pivots and arbors. They hold their value and are an excellent investment to add to your collection and estate. No Seth Thomas clock collection is complete without one of these metronomes by this famous clock maker.

Note, I have listed this at a price point to reflect the quality of the restoration work and investment. This is important when you consider most metronomes you currently find listed have never been cleaned, calibrated and/or have an uneven beat, and show tarnish on the brass parts. It would be a challenge to find a wood metronome in better cosmetic and mechanical condition.