--- Antique Metronomes For Sale ---

Descriptions:

 Please take the time to read an items description carefully before deciding on a purchase. We will try to list any mechanical faults as well as all cosmetic issues with each individual unit. If you are purchasing a metronome that will be used for an occasional practice aid we strongly suggest choosing a piece that operates as close as possible to 60 beats per minute. This generally means that the metronome will operate relatively accurately on all tempo settings down the scale. Inaccuracies on a units default beats per minute, shown below can be remedied by simply setting the pendulum weight to account for the +/- beat, i.e. if a metronome has a target tempo of 60bpm but operates at 64bpm, setting the pendulum weight to 56bpm ( slower tempo ) should result in 60 beats per minute.
 It is quite common for units with a bell, to have operational issues on one of the four settings, if this is a problem it will be reflected in the metronomes description.
Metronomes sold on this website are NOT intended to be sold as accurate time keeping devices but as attractive collectible shelf or display items.
Hold your mouse pointer over a gallery image for an enhanced zoom, or click 'play' to listen to your selected metronome.

For Items M101 - M108, click here.
For Items M117 - M124, click here.

Paquet Coquille ( Shell Form ) Rosewood Metronome  ( SOLD - Order Number - M109 )

 Dating to around 1910 this lovely looking metronome is in a relatively scarce form called 'Coqulle' or 'Shellform'. It was manufactured by the French company, Paquet and they were kind enough to mark it with two serial numbers, this means that we are not only able to roughly date it to a production year ( serial 483,819 ) , but we can also provide the model type serial number giving a suggestion as to how many of this actual shell form of metronome had been produced. The hand written number is ( serial 736 ). It is in excellent condition, with only superficial scratches commensurate with age and still retains all of the original gloss clear lacquered topcoat. The Rosewood paneled case has been soaked and rounded to provide the shell form and takes a very clever process to maintain this shape without splitting the wood panels. This example shows no stress marks or splits whatsoever. It is extremely attractive externally, with fabulous Rosewood dark graining visible and a good original Paquet transfer type trademark symbol to the front that remains in excellent condition.
 Inside the door, the tempo scale is the typical Paquet type that has darkened over time, this is mainly caused by exposure to coal fire, lamp oil and to a degree some handling wear, it does have a few modern scratches visible which does detract slightly, but really we are nit picking, it is still legible and differs from the standard tempo scale in that it reads " Forme Coquille Modele Depose "  or " Shell Shape Model " and " Forme Coquille " to the lower third as well. The thick Rosewood base has suffered over the yeas having split on two occasions, we have reinforced internally one of the splits in order to resolve a visible crack externally, the other split appears stable and has been glued ( not by us ).  The base is retained by 3 large screws, these have been covered with foam feet by us, which is the reason for no mechanism picture below, it does however have a typical Paquet mechanism that you can view on any other Paquet metronome on this website. These foam feet ensure that the screws, that do protrude slightly will not scratch a display surface and also provides a nice even base for the metronome. In order to access the mechanism compartment however, these foam feet do need to be removed and we will provide and additional 5 feet as replacement's or spares.
The winding key is a replacement and there is a small tiny veneer split around the winding key hole that has been reglued, this is very minor and hardly worth a mention. The mechanism is good, it can show some variation with the strength of the pendulum swing as the mainspring winds down but is generally good, well balanced and audible and providing 60 beats per minute for a total runtime of around 45 minutes. It is not the strongest mainspring however and does struggle on the last 15 minutes of runtime or on a very slow pendulum upper weight setting. Ideal as a collectable metronome or display and talking piece but should not be considered as a regular practice aid. 
 The rare style and shape of this metronome is reflected in our asking price, the performance is rather secondary in our opinion. It is hard enough to find this model anywhere is today's market, let alone a working example and one in such good condition. The low serial number of 736 hints at a production number of probably only around 1000 metronomes maximum from Paquet with the unit being the first of the type that we have ever offered for sale.  

Beats per Min: 60   Operating Time: 45 Minutes  
 

 Paquet Mahogany Metronome - A.L. & Cie  ( SOLD - Order Number - M110  )

 A very good performer here with a strong mainspring and a consistent and even tempo. It came to us with a mechanism that had a terminal main spring fault and could not be repaired so it has been replaced with a donor mechanism from another unit dating to the same period. The serial number '352,095' dates it to around c 1900 and was manufactured by the French firm of Paquet, it was however retailed by an unknown company to us, A.L.& Cie which is stamped to the lower third of the tempo scale along with a picture of a tuning fork. Finished in high quality Mahogany, the exterior is in excellent clean condition, it has a few minor dings commensurate with age but no deep scratches, or dents or any damage or splitting. It has a lovely deep patina, a deep rich tone with good visible grain  and is finished with the nickel silver variant of the Paquet front door emblem.
 Originally the metronome was fitted with a mechanism that had a bell assembly, the replacement however does not, this means that the side panel upper hole / fitting is now defunct but can be used as a key storage hole. The metronome retains all of the original exterior parts and fittings, and has the original lower door and all feet in place, the feet have had a repaint and felt added to the underside, so that the unit is safe to seat on a piano or delicate surface. The tempo scale is fully legible and clean with no flaking or damage to the black side panels and with another ky storage hole to the lower right. Performance wise, this metronome is excellent, it has a very strong main spring which is reflected in the swing of the pendulum arm, and it provides a loud audible and even tempo, good enough to be used in semi-professional practice environment. It is running a little fast due to the upper and lower weight differing from the original mechanism, this is roughly only four bpm so it is very easy to simply set the upper pendulum weight one notch or setting above the actual required tempo, on the tempo scale in order to achieve the correct return.
 This is a very nice looking metronome with the bonus of also giving very good performance mechanically. At over 100 years old, we hope that it continues to provide good reliable service to the new owner for the foreseeable future, albeit after a little heart surgery.
 

Beats per Min: 64*     Operating Time: 45+ Minutes  

 Robert Cocks Presentation Victorian Burr Walnut Metronome + Bell (  £189 - Order Number - M111 )

  This wonderful Victorian Presentation metronome came to us from the family of the original Grandfather and Granddaughter combination that are named on the silver plaque attached to the front lower panel. It was presented as a gift for accomplishments achieved at Trinity College, in 1895. The full plaque reads : " To Ethel Caroline Rushton, as a memento from her Grandpa J.Rushton, on the occasion of her successful examination ( aged 10 yrs ) in piano-forte playing at Trinity College Local Exam. Barrow. June /95 ".
Ethel went on to become an accomplished pianist, continuing to play the piano throughout her life, she lived in Ulverston, Lancs and married a tailor, who had a shop in Barrow-in-Furness . She is also fondly remembered for her typically Victorian 'minute' cucumber sandwiches by her Grandson and custodian of this unique and cherished Walnut metronome.
 No expense was spared in the purchase and subsequent addition of a high quality plaque during the latter stages of the Victorian era by Ethel's Grandfather, we suspect that the metronome was manufactured around the same time as the presentation date of 1895, and would have been purchased from new. In all likelihood it was assembled by either Robert Cocks or the Cramer Company, both based in London and both manufacturing metronomes throughout the Victorian era from around 1830, we suspect that it was probably the former. Made in Walnut, with a Burr Walnut frontage and door and Rosewood panels flanking the Boxwood tempo scale, it is typical of the extremely high quality materials used at the time by either firms. It has been very well cared for and remains in excellent condition, especially considering it is 130 years old. There are a few age cracks and minor seam splits to the external veneer, but hardly worth a mention and is unavoidable due to shrinkage over decades. The metronome features all of the original fixtures and fittings, feet, lower door and pendulum weight etc, nothing has been changed, swapped or replaced with the exception of the winding key. The solid brass fittings are evenly toned with consistent handling patina throughout, the original fire gilt has been lost to time, with some remaining areas still visible once the door is opened and the internal brass fittings, to include the upper pendulum weight are revealed.
 The Robert Cocks firm had a habit of punching Roman Numerals into the woodwork on the underside for reasons unknown, this example is no exception, showing " III " stamped into the internal mechanism compartment, the underside door frame and also the removable lower door. Probably used for simply matching parts but a nice touch when assessing a metronome for authenticity regarding construction. There is also a hand written " 9/95 " showing on the inside of the mechanism compartment, this could be a production date of September 1895.
 The operation of this lovely piece is good, it is well balanced and has had the bell adjusted so that it is now fully working on all four settings. It is a very audible metronome with a loud pendulum action and a nice strong return. The bell is a little on the quiet side but this is typical of most Victorian metronomes as the original bell spring's stretch slightly over time. The unit supplies 60 beats per minute and runs for a total of around 40-45 minutes. Another flaw that should mentioned is that obviously after 100+ years of use, a metronome's main drive spring will not be as strong as it was when it first left the factory or when it was first manufactured. In turn, on a unit that has the addition of a bell assembly, this can result in issues when trying to power both the pendulum arm and bell, especially when the mainspring has run down to near flat.
 Visually, this piece is very attractive, featuring arguably the best selected combination of woods from the time and coupled with  complimentary solid brass metal fittings that are very well toned. The addition of a full provenance and a totally unique and custom personal family dedication, means that the history and future research-ability of this particular metronome is assured. We rarely get the opportunity to offer a Victorian metronome with a full family history, this unit not only offers that but also happens to have been assembled or produced by the highest quality manufacturer of the period.    

 
Beats per Min: 60     Operating Time: 40 Minutes 

 Robert Cocks or Cramer & Co Rosewood Veneered Victorian Metronome  ( SOLD - Order Number - M112 )

   A lovely Victorian London made metronome in very good condition and dating to around 1880. The mechanism in this one is one of the cleanest and brightest we have encountered on a Victorian metronome, with most covered with a film of coal or lamp oil residue. This one appears to have somehow escaped that predicament and was possibly displayed in a well ventilated area, it is even more remarkable considering the lower underside protective door is missing on this example. Finished with a high quality Rosewood Veneer, a boxwood tempo scale and flanked by solid Rosewood tempo scale side panels, it is typical of a mid production metronome by either of the London based firms. There is a minor veneer section missing from the left hand upper panel and the odd slight dent to the edge woodwork but these are extremely small and hardly worth a mention when you consider the 140 years of service.
 The woodwork retains a semi gloss finish and is matched with wonderful chocolate brown solid brass fittings that all show a consistent handling patina, the tempo scale is the early wide type, with hand stamped individual markings and in near factory condition. This metronome also features a 3/4 sized door hinge and hand chaste upper brass pendulum weight. The tempo and audible return is excellent, loud and with a good solid tone, it operates at 60 beats per minute for a total runtime of around 45 minutes and is a solid performer. Originally, this metronome would have sat on three bun brass feet, two to the front ( which are still both original ) and one to the rear, which was fixed to the underside door. Since this door and foot have been lost of broken, two replacement feet have been fitted to the rear, but unless we had mentioned it here, you would never have guessed as they are a perfect match.
 Inside the mechanism compartment and as with many of the these London metronomes, there is a pencilled hand written number which appears to be the year and month of manufacture. In this case 9/80 or 9/88 = September 1880/8. A truly superb example of an early Victorian metronome, finished to the highest standard which results in not only a fabulous display item but also coupled with a reliable performance. These are getting very hard to obtain and I am sure that this unit will not be around too long. The missing underside door panel in no way affects the metronome's performance, in some cases it can alter the audible tone of the tempo but on this particular unit, the difference is negligible due to the fact it still sounds so good without it.

Beats per Min: 60     Operating Time: 40 Minutes

 Paquet Mahogany Metronome  ( SOLD  - Order Number - M113 )

 This unit from the French firm of Paquet dates to around 1920 bearing the serial number 668,889. It is in original factory condition retaining all of the original parts, fixtures and fittings. The exterior woodwork, probably Mahogany but also possibly Cherry wood has nearly all of the factory high gloss lacquered finish or topcoat and although it does display some obvious handling wear, scratches and slight dents etc visible on close inspection, it is still in very good condition.  The base or underside has suffered and has been repaired over the years, with one slat split and re-glued. It does however still have it's original feet and underside protective door still in place and doing a great job of protecting a clean and reliable mechanism.
 The front door Paquet emblem still has much of the factory gold burnish still visible and the winding key and door hook have a lovely dark handling patina. There is a visible light scratch to the lower front exterior panel and a few other very light marks to other panels but nothing too distracting, one seam to the right lower may have been re-glued in the past but has been done well and to the point of you hardly being able to notice it unless we had mentioned it here.
 The card tempo scale is fully legible with only a couple of very minor red ink marks to the lower third, this ink also slightly stains the exterior woodwork peak but again so minor that you can hardly notice it. The original factory upper pendulum weight slides well and set at 60 beats per minute, provides an accurate tempo and well balanced movement. The metronome mechanism is very clean having had 3 ultrasonic baths and runs for a total runtime of 45 minutes at 60bpm.  
 A nice honest early 20th Century French manufactured metronome in decent condition considering the 100 year old age, a few minor exterior blemishes and some visible handling wear but this is reflected in our asking price. Operationally and mechanically, this metronome is sound ( no pun intended ) it runs well, provides a loud an audible and even tempo, is not too over-powering and retains all factory parts.

Beats per Min: 60      Operating Time: 45 Minutes  

 Thorens Swiss Pear Wood Victorian? Metronome  ( SOLD - Order Number - M114 )

  We think that this metronome from the Swiss firm of Thorens may well be Victorian or if not maybe a decade into the 20th Century. The base is stamped with the early serial number of ' 70,306 ' and while we know that this particular firm did not manufacture anywhere near as many metronome's as the French firm of Paquet ( nearly 2m ) we do believe they reached at least 250,000. This metronome is in excellent condition externally, with only two old door retaining pin holes to the front panel and an old seam split to the left panel being the only flaws. The left panel split has been re-glued internally and is completely stable and the door pin holes are a common issue affecting nearly all antique metronome's that were manufactured without a full door hinge. Other issues that need mentioning is that the escutcheon disc surrounding the bell pull lever has slight damage but it still sits in place well and hardly noticeable and also that the underside protective door is lost to time.
 That is the negatives out of the way, now let me talk about what a great looking metronome that this is in hand. Slightly more Golden than what is shown in our pictures and with virtually no scratches or dents / dings of any sort, it is a very clean and smart looking piece.
 The mechanism, understandably dirty and grimy after going for years with no door in place, cleaned up very well and performs very well. It has a strong even tempo even on the slowest settings and comfortably runs the bell with hardly any slow down of the pendulum visible at all ( a rarity ), the bell itself operate correctly on all four settings and has a nice tone and completely audible. The pendulum swing is good, and the visible card tempo scale is fully legible with no old cleaning attempts evident. It does run a little fast, which may indicate that the upper pendulum weight has been lost / replaced at some point in the past but this is easily corrected by setting the weight 4bp slower than what is required. i.e for 60 bpm set the upper weight to56bpm ( one notch above your required tempo ).
One foot has been lost and replaced on the rear of the underside but this does not impact the performance. The card tempo scale is clear and readable and with the firms trademark of an anchor, clearly visible to the lower third. While the fixtures and fittings have suffered the brunt of some poor handling or storage over the years,  the external case and overall look of this metronome has survived very well. It performs well, has a fully working bell, a Swiss pedigree and manufactured around the turn of the Century. The woodwork itself looks to be Pear wood although it could be another Fruitwood, sometimes it is a little hard to tell as the wood changes it's appearance over time and with handling etc. Thorens produced some fine looking metronome's early in production, this one is a prime example.

Beats per Min: 64*    Operating Time:  45 Minutes

 Paquet Rosewood Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M115 )

 A lovely looking and totally original metronome from the French firm of Paquet dating to around 1925. This piece is in fine condition and has obviously been well looked after for the past 90+ years. Finished with Rosewood paneling which gives a fire or wave style appearance to the grain, the exterior is excellent, no dents or scratches and still retaining all of the original factory upper clear lacquered finish. The door emblem still shows much of the factory fire gilding and this unit has the more expensive option of a fully hinged door.
 Everything about this metronome screams quality, the solid brass exterior fittings have a fabulous dark handling patina and are all original to the metronome, along with the feet and the lower protective door which remains in place and numbered '768,160'. The card tempo scale is fully legible, in good condition with no cleaning attempts visible and marked to the bottom with the typical Paquet trademark. Operationally this metronome is equally as impressive, supplying a steady and well balanced 60 beats per minute, with an even swing to the pendulum and a good tempo. It is quite audible with a good solid tone and a total runtime of around 45+ minutes. While we do not recommend any antique metronome for professional practice use, this one however could quite easily be used in a semi professional environment without an issue. One small remark is that this particular metronome operates more consistently if it is not wound to the absolute maximum, stopping a turn or half turn of the winding key before the upper stop means that the spring is not over compressed. It will not cause a problem if you forget, it just appears to run down more smoothly if this trick is observed . A nice small description for this metronome which is exactly how we like them, virtually no issues to list or highlight and one where we can let the pictures do the talking, with no hidden issues. A great example. 


Beats per Min: 60      Operating Time: 45 Minutes  

 Depos'e Rosewood Victorian Metronome ( SOLD - Order Number - M116 )

 This metronome has somewhat been through the wars over the years but remains a very attractive piece with fabulous tiger stripe Rosewood graining and dating to the late Victorian era, probably around 1885. It was manufactured by an unusual manufacturer who only appears to have been around for a shot period and maybe only up until the turn of the Century. They marked their metronomes 'Depos'e' which as we understand it, is usually related to stating that the design had been patented, however as we are not sure who the actual maker was or because they only ever appeared to have marked their metronomes with 'Depos'e', this is how we gotten accustomed to describing the maker. The firm also used a visual trademark to the lower third of the tempo scale, in this case a musical scale with notes, but we also believe they used a harp and a tuning fork during their production period. This particular metronome is numbered '  14,625, a low number when you consider that the rival firm of Paquet had manufactured over 200,000 by the time this one was assembled.
 It would appear that the frame itself has split or been reassembled at some point during it's history, the front lower panel has been reattached and pinned ( poorly and slightly off center ) and there are signs of seam splitting with some minor damage and old internal regluing is evident. There are also a couple of minor age related cracks to the wood, but nothing major or that detracts and in fact is relatively typical of the wood type Rosewood. The fittings are old, hand finished and filed and with a lovely dark age / handling patina, the feet have been repainted, and the underside protective door is unfortunately lost to time. The mechanism is good, a nice strong and even swing to the pendulum and relatively loud / audible. It run's for around 45 minutes and provides an accurate 60 beats per minute. We have had to undertake work mechanically to this piece to restore functionality but it is a nice performer and considering it is over 130 years, really quite impressive. The card tempo scale has suffered, it is a little grubby and worn, but providing you have decent eyesight, still possible to see the settings ok, it has been exposed to coal fires and lamp oil etc,  pre-electricity, so we think this can be forgiven. A nice piece, with history and from an unusual and scarce maker, in good working condition. 

Beats per Min: 60     Operating Time:  45 Minutes  

Brass Polishing:

We also offer a brass polishing service, where we remove all exterior brass fittings and polish to a high sheen which seems to be popular when matching a metronome to a piano for display purposes. We do not clean the fittings by default unless we feel the unit warrants it and any item shown on the website without cleaned brass-work is sold as viewed. We will however, under instruction polish fittings once a unit has been purchased for a standard charge of £9.95. Occasionally metronomes can be fitted with nickel silver or copper metal-work and in most cases these are best left to develop a deep handling patina. We will advise if we do not think that a unit would benefit from this service.

Galleries:

For Items M101 - M108, click here.
For Items M117 - M124, click here.