Looking around my home today, I can count twelve Arthur Pequegnat clocks, but the Brandon II will always be the most important one. It was the first Pequegnat clock I ever bought, and the one that started me down the Pequegnat road.

This particular clock is a Brandon II. The first edition was produced up to 1916, and although the two versions look very similar, the second edition was made from 1917 until production ended in 1941. I wish I knew the exact year mine was made, but that’s hard to determine since there are no identifying marks on the movement, the label, or the case to date it. Between the two, I prefer the cleaner look of the second version.

The Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company made clocks in Kitchener, Ontario from 1903 to 1941, and the Brandon was one of their more popular models. You would most often find one hanging in a Canadian schoolroom in the 1930s or 1940s, or in an office where a reliable, no-nonsense clock was needed. It’s an octagonal short-drop, time-only schoolhouse clock — simple, practical, and built to last. The first edition had the same overall dimensions but featured a more ornate frame around the dial bezel.
Schoolhouse clocks were usually time-only because schools already had bells or alarms to signal the start of class, recess, and the end of the day. In an office environment, a striking clock sounding every hour would likely have driven everyone to distraction. Some Brandon clocks were also fitted with calendars, which would have been useful in either setting.

Both the quarter-sawn oak case and the brass movement were made by the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company in their Kitchener factory right up until 1941, when brass shortages during the Second World War forced the company to stop production rather abruptly.
The time-only movement is quite simple, with relatively few gears and not much to go wrong. It was designed to be reliable and durable — a clock that could survive years of schoolrooms, offices, and daily winding without complaint.

I bought this clock from a local antique collector who had owned it for a number of years and eventually decided to sell it in his antique shop in Great Village, Nova Scotia. The price was reasonable, and since I had always wanted a Pequegnat schoolhouse clock, I brought it home.
The case is in excellent condition, and the dial and bezel are also very nice. The clock would run and keep reasonably good time, but it had an annoying squeak that clearly meant something wasn’t quite right. After taking a closer look, I discovered the first wheel had considerable pivot hole wear — the kind of repair that was beyond my tools and abilities in 2015.
So, the movement made a trip to a horologist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it was properly serviced. Five bushings were installed, the mainspring was cleaned, and the movement was oiled. It wasn’t an inexpensive repair, but in my view it was a worthwhile investment. Now, after ten years of running, it is time to take a look at the movement again and check for any wear. This time, my tools are at the ready!
Related Articles
- My short video on Pequegnat clocks in my collection; As regular readers know, I have been a passionate collector for 15 years, I take great joy in repairing and restoring old clocks. My collection has grown to 85 unique timepieces, each with its own story.
- The Pequegnat story and the Maple Leaf series of kitchen clocks; The Pequegnat name may not be familiar to international readers, but it was a significant Canadian clock company that manufactured both movements and cases beginning in the early 20th century.
- My collection of Arthur Pequegnat Clocks; in 2020, I wrote about my growing collection of Pequegnat clocks. At the time, I had just purchased my eighth clock







































































You must be logged in to post a comment.