A CLOCK that was made more than 100 years ago for two Irish cathedrals has been sold to a company near Knutsford.

Coppelia Antiques, which restores and sells clocks, said the piece was so unique it should go to a museum or a specialist collector.

“The clock must have been made as a one-off for the cathedrals,” said manager Daniel Clements.

“It must be one of the finest surviving pieces like this to exist.”

Coppelia Antiques has still not valued the clock, which is about 6ft tall.

But Mr Clements believes it could fetch tens of thousands of pounds.

He said people stopped in their tracks when the clock was carried through the streets of Dublin.

“Everyone was absolutely amazed by it. It’s a real attention seeker,” he said.

The clock is believed to have been made in America by the Waterbury Clock Company, which eventually became part of the Timex Corporation.

It was created for the shared clergy quarters of Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.

Coppelia Antiques believes the clock was sold to help fund the upkeep of the cathedrals, which were built more than 800 years ago - before the signing of the Magna Carta.

Cathedrals in Ireland have to rely on donations because they receive little funding from the Government.

Mr Clements said it was a shame that the clergy had to sell such unique antiques.

The father-of-two said the clock was the most unusual piece he had seen since he joined the family business.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get another one like this. I hope it will be looked after in a museum or a home that really treasures it,” he said.

Coppelia Antiques was founded by Mr Clements’ dad Roy, a mechanical engineer, more than 30 years ago.

It restores clocks that are often 300 years old at its workshop in Plumley.

Some of the pieces date back to 1680 – less than 20 years after the Great Plague and the Fire of London.

Since 1995 the firm has sold its stock from a showroom called Pendulum of Mayfair in London.

The company specialises in restoring grandfather clocks and about 85% of its sales are to collectors in America.

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