Clocks Part 3

Favourite mantle clock of my friend and I:

 

Looks like a Winterhalder and Hoffmeier, looking at the pictures from the front. Late 19th C, worth about 1/5th to 1/10th as much as the C.1700 clock. But of course, way flashier.

 

I guess we like flash, then, because my friend might like to keep this one. I was wondering about the hole below the dial in the last pic. The holes for winding the clock are in the face, so what was that one for?

 

It's not an official hole, as you can see. I can only suppose some earlier owner had a reason for drilling it (badly), possibly to stick a knitting needle through to stop or start the pendulum without moving the clock. Some very heavy French clocks have a gadget to do this built in, what you have there is a nasty bodge that luckily does not show with the door closed.

 

Ah, nasty bodge -- thought it didn't look right! Thanks again!