Regular readers will note that I often talk about Arthur Pequegnat clocks because they were made in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. I feature those clocks in my collection, as well as significant Pequegnat clocks I have encountered during my travels.
One such Pequegnat clock piqued my interest during a visit to The Canadian Clock Museum in early September of this year.
Prior to 1916, the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company, then located in Berlin, Ontario (now Kitchener), produced a mantel clock unlike any other Pequegnat mantel clock in any collection.
Known as the Berlin, this time-and-strike clock features two columns and an unusual olive-green painted finish. Although it is marked forest green in the photo it appears to be an olive colour. Having said that, photography, lighting, camera white balance, and aging of the original finish can substantially alter the apparent colour.
There are six Pequegnat catalogues. The “Berlin” model was featured in three, the 1904, 1913 and 1918 catalogues. In the 1918 cartalogue, the name was change to “Berlyn”.
The finish appears remarkably uniform and well integrated with the case, leading me to suspect that it is original. Pequegnat evidently produced a limited run of Berlin clocks in this unusual finish.
Skip Kerr, on his very informative website, also mentions that the clock was produced in both green and black, adding that these particular models are quite rare. More common are the oak cased models.
An online search reveals the same clock as in the photo above, indicating that it was an auction purchase by the museum.
This clock is 10 1/2 inches high, 15 1/2 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches deep. The movement is an 8 day time and strike. It strikes the hours on the gong and the half hour on a bell.
Conclusion
The Pequegnat Berlin is a rare and intriguing clock, particularly because of its unusual olive/forest/sage-green finish. While there is no evidence to confirm that the colour was intended to reflect Canada’s First World War effort, the timing is certainly interesting.
With Berlin, Ontario, renamed Kitchener in 1916 and the model subsequently renamed Berlyn, this clock provides a fascinating glimpse into both Pequegnat’s history and the wartime period in which it was produced.
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