Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions Skelly globe/clock combination

I have a vintage Slelly globe/clock combination. It is a large white glass globe with the Skelly logo on one face. The faces are flat. A clock mounts inside the globe behind the Skelly logo. A lens covers the logo and clock hands. The clock numbers are on the lens. The base of the globe says Pat. Pend. Sinclair. I have not seen one of these before and I am interested in the age, value, rarity, etc. I am planning to clean it and display it. I am not interested in selling it.

Do you have a picture of it?

I'll have to take one and read how to post the picture.

I added 2 pictures of my Skelly Globe/Clock. One shows the face of the globe and the other shows a close-up of " Pat Pend, Solar Electric Co., Monaca, PA". I haven't seen another one like this so I would like information on age, rarity, value, anything anyone can tell me about it. Thanks

Looks like its on a gill body.never seen one before either, so hard to say.from this pic,it doesn't look cobbled together.is face metal,or glass,with a light inside?if it's real( and I'm not saying it isn't) it's pretty scarce,and maybe worth a good buck.if it's not..it's a cool idea. See if you can take a pic of the inside through the hole.may help determining a bit more. ( after closer look,looks like metal face with numbers on the clear outer lens)

Man I with you Mick. It looks like it was done decently. Im interested to see what others have to say about it!!

The numbers are on the lens. It is was broken and I have replaced it. The rest is original. There is a metal ring that holds the lens onto the globe. The inside has the clock mechanism and two light sockets. The wiring was in bad condition. I replaced it as originally wired but plan to redo it so the clock can run without the lights being on. It is not a metal face. The globe is all milk glass. There are 3 bolts in the front face that hold the clock mechanism to the front. The clock mechanism is brass. The Skelly emblem is recessed slightly and rough, like maybe it was sandblasted into the glass. There is no advertisement on the back face.

If it's a Hanson movement,and you can remove it,there may be a date on the front(hands side). So do the bolts go thru glass? A gill body holds the outer lens on with the metal ring,but has no center glass. How is the part that says Skelly held to the globe?again,pics of how it's put together may help determine if an actual Gas item,or something made by another company. If you want to send me pics,I may be able to post them in a larger size for you.not trying to cast doubt,just trying to help. Also a close up of the printing.

I added pictures of the clock mechanism, a close-up of the lettering and metal ring, and the holes where the clock movement is mounted to the face. The clock mechanism has no labels, dates, etc. I did replace the sockets and wiring because I didn't trust using the old electrical connections. The globe itself is one solid piece of white glass. The metal ring used to attach the lens face to the globe is chrome plated on the outside but it is made from copper. The bolts that attach the clock mechanism to the back of the globe face go through some cone shaped washers on each end and through springs.

I think my latest picture will show it but the Skelly artwork appears to be sandblasted into the glass because it is slightly recessed and has a rough surface. It was then painted. I think all the paint was there but when I was cleaning off the dirt some of the paint came off so I quit cleaning. There is a ridge around the circumference of both faces of the globe. The metal ring wraps around this ridge and the lens to hold the lens to the globe.

I googled Solar Electric Co. Monaca, PA. There was one link to a reference in a book saying Solar Electric Co. of Chicago had given a contract to someone to build a manufacturing facility in Monaca, PA in 1914. I googled Solar Electric Co. gas globes and found this company listed as an early producer of gas globes. I guess this ties down the date to after 1914 but that doesn't narrrow it down much.

What part was broken? The outer glass/lens?

Yes, the lens with the numbers on it was broken. The globe is in good condition.

...I'd really like to see a photo of the original, broken lens with the numbers...

This is a picture of the original clock face lens which was broken.

Original Broken Clock Face

...thanks...OK, not to knock the one you had made - but I think in this instance, it would be worth your while to have a clock lens made where the numbers exactly matched the original...I say that because to me the age of the original is immediately apparent, from the hand-generated numbers, etc. - while the newer lens looks new because the numbers are too consistent, and will detract from the restored piece...

...I think you might have something here...I know I've never seen anything like it - at least not while I was awake...

...hopefully Scott Benjamin will chime in soon, and give us the benefit of his knowledge and experience...