Why Chelsea Foundry
Your Foundry commission is centered around our flagship Chelsea Ship's Bell Clock — a forged brass case, not a stamped shell, giving it a strength and weight you can feel the moment you hold it.
WHERE STORIES ARE FORGED INTO HEIRLOOMS
CHELSEA CLOCK FOUNDRY
A private commission program dedicated to creating extraordinary maritime timepieces and instruments that can never be replicated.
For nearly 130 years, Chelsea Clock has crafted instruments that measure time.
Through two World Wars. Across more than a century of U.S. Presidents. Aboard yachts, within historic homes, and alongside some of the country's most enduring institutions.
Some stories deserve more than an object — they deserve one built for them alone.
Chelsea Foundry is our most exclusive offering: a private commission process that turns a defining chapter of your life into a one-of-one heirloom, forged in brass and built entirely by hand.
No two commissions are ever alike. Nor should they be.
Your Foundry commission is centered around our flagship Chelsea Ship's Bell Clock — a forged brass case, not a stamped shell, giving it a strength and weight you can feel the moment you hold it.
Inside, every movement is hand-assembled by our craftsmen and individually tested for weeks before it's ready to become yours. It's the same standard American institutions, military leaders, and luxury houses like Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren have trusted for more than a century.
Chelsea Foundry takes that foundation and makes it entirely yours — a one-of-one heirloom forged from your story.
Discovery Every commission begins with a private consultation. Our team works closely with each client to understand the people, places, achievements, and experiences that have shaped their story. Together, we identify the themes that will define the commission.
Design Inspired by your story, our craftsmen develop a bespoke concept unique to your commission. Custom elements may include family crests and insignias, historic coordinates, yacht silhouettes, military service tributes, personal mottos, archival imagery, significant dates, custom dial artwork, precious materials, and meaningful objects supplied by the client. Every detail is reviewed and refined collaboratively.
Craftsmanship Once approved, your commission enters production within our Massachusetts workshop. Throughout the process, you receive exclusive access to the journey through photographs, artisan notes, design updates, and progress documentation. You witness your heirloom taking shape.
Legacy Upon completion, every Foundry commission includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Commission Provenance Archive, Professional Photography, Design Documentation, and Lifetime Chelsea Service Support. The result is more than a clock. It is a permanent expression of a life, family, achievement, or legacy.
Chelsea Ship's Bell clocks are manufactured using forged brass cases rather than stamped components, creating superior durability, weight, and permanence.
Each movement is individually assembled, regulated, and tested for weeks in Chelsea's Massachusetts workshop before shipment.
Chelsea clocks have served through two World Wars, appeared in offices of White House administrations for more than a century, and accompanied generations of military officers, sailors, explorers, artists, and collectors.
Chelsea has created products for distinguished American luxury brands including Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren.
Authentically designed and assembled in Massachusetts since 1897.
A Chelsea Foundry commission is a legacy gift in itself — but the discovery process, where someone's story is translated into a one-of-one design, can be just as meaningful to share. Commission a piece in someone's honor and give both: an heirloom to keep, and the experience of being asked, "tell us your story," for someone who values American craftsmanship, tradition, and a truly original gift.
Begin your Chelsea Foundry Commission and let your story become an heirloom. Commissions are accepted on a limited basis each year.