YOUTUBE | The Timekeeper of Elmina Clock | House of Acker Treasures | Sim Wears Prada (Patreon)

Vol. 1 Includes 3 Acker Treasures DOWNLOAD HEREVol. 1 Includes 3 Acker Treasures DOWNLOAD HEREVol. 1 Includes 3 Acker Treasures DOWNLOAD HEREThe Timekeeper of Elmina ClockCurrently held in the Acker Family Vault, this piece has been insured at $175,000 and is one of the most debated objects in the collection—equal parts luxury, legacy, and loaded history.Crafted around 1810 in Paris, this clock is a striking example of French Empire design. Made of gilt bronze and dark patinated metal, it features a bow-wielding African hunter seated above the dial, with a loyal hound by his side.

These clocks were known as pendules au nègre—an era’s attempt to mythologize and romanticize Africa through European eyes. While today such depictions are studied with a more critical lens, in their time they were seen as exotic, fashionable, and deeply symbolic.

This particular piece was believed to have been part of a private collection housed at Cape Coast Castle on the Gold Coast—modern-day Ghana. For decades it adorned the home of Governor Charles B. Monette, a British colonial administrator with an affinity for continental art… and political theaterIn 1893, Edward Acker—then a rising titan in industrial development—toured West Africa as part of an exploratory mission into gold transport and maritime infrastructure.

During a formal reception at the governor’s residence in Elmina, Acker impressed his host with his knowledge of regional trade routes, colonial diplomacy… and, perhaps, his ability to speak fluent French.

At the close of the visit, Governor Monette presented Acker with the clock and offered him a single line:

‘For a man who understands time… must also know when not to waste it.’

The clock, crated and shipped aboard the S.S. Clara Belle, arrived in Boston two months later—and took its place atop Edward’s mahogany desk, where it ticked through every contract signed and empire built.