CRYSTAL BENT FYRART CLOCKS

Crystal Bent Fyrart Clocks

"Crystal Bent Fyrart" clocks were, as the name implies, fashioned from plate glass that was heated and bent to form a face, support, and base for a standard clock movement. Their designs were unabashedly Art-Deco. They date to the late 1930's and early 1940's.

The numerals and other decorative designs were engraved into the glass and, in some cases, paint filled. Some were mirrored.

A majority of these clocks had high quality electric movements made by the Waltham Watch Company, though they were also available with wind-up movements, most likely also made by Waltham.

The clock shown here is the "Mercury" model. It was one of the less elaborate examples of the Fyrart clocks, and could be had with either blue or green glass. In addition to these colors, other models used clear or peach-colored glass and, in some cases, black Carrara glass.

As might be expected, these clocks are extremely fragile, and often broke at the bend if they were mishandled in any way. As a result, they are quite hard to find. This is the first one that I have found that was in nice condition. Hopefully, I will add more in the future.

Shown below is a page from a 1941 Malone & May catalog, showing a number of these clocks. The "Mercury" is at the bottom right corner of the page. Click here, or on the image, for a larger version.

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