How Far Do You Go to Repair or Restore a Clock?
How far should one go to repair, restore, or conserve a clock without changing it in a significant way? Minimal invasive intervention is a term I “borrowed” from a clock forum I frequent. Some collectors argue that any work done on an antique clock detracts from its value—much like replacing the motor on an antique car. It may look nice, but it’s ultimately less desirable.
At the end of this article, I’ve included several questions that collectors might consider when faced with this dilemma.
When does performing too much work on a clock affect its collector value? If you go too far, does it lose its attraction as a collectible item? A true collector is often more interested in a movement that has never been touched than one that has been repaired or restored. But just how far should one go with a non-working vintage or antique clock? While it’s always desirable to have a running clock, most understand that getting a movement to actually function requires at least some invasive intervention—such as bushing or pivot reconstruction.
Repair implies correcting faults or poor servicing that may alter a clock from its original form.
Restoration involves rebuilding parts of the movement or case to return it to an “as-new” condition.
Conservation focuses on protecting and preserving a clock using effective methods to maintain its originality for as long as possible.
Some degree of intervention is not only necessary but, for some collectors, even desirable.
The Case of the Ingraham Huron Shelf Clock
To illustrate, let’s look at my 1878 Ingraham Huron time-and-strike shelf clock, an American-made piece with a uniquely designed rosewood case. For a 147-year-old clock, the case is in remarkable condition and always draws attention. The hands, pendulum, sash, and bezel hardware are all original. There are no cracks, breaks, or missing pieces. The case was cleaned with Murphy’s Oil Soap and water, followed by a light coat of shellac. The dial shows a natural buildup of grime that, while some may see it as unsightly, contributes to its authentic character—and that, I will not touch.
The movement is original but bears evidence of poor past repairs. In small-town Nova Scotia, access to professional clockmakers was limited, so people often relied on local tinkerers to get their clocks running again. In those days, a clock was an appliance—something that needed to work, not a collector’s treasure. Quick and inexpensive fixes were the goal, and as a result, questionable methods were sometimes used. This movement shows plenty of solder, with misaligned gears and new pivot holes drilled into the plates. The soldering was likely done in the 1940s, when soldering guns became common.
When I got it, the clock ran for two or three days on a full wind before stopping. A gentle nudge of the pendulum gets it going again, but it soon stops once more. From the front, little seems wrong, but once the movement is removed from the case, the problems become clear—particularly the invasive solder repairs.
Repair, Restore, or Conserve?
I brought the clock to a certified horologist, and we discussed which approach to take: repair, restore, or conserve? He shared a story about a customer who brought in a kitchen clock (also known as a “gingerbread” clock)—a family heirloom they wanted running again. These clocks are common today; thousands were made, and few have significant market value. Yet sentimental value often outweighs monetary worth. In such cases, he repairs the clock to the customer’s satisfaction but if the movement is beyond repair, he recommends replacing it with a period-correct one. Most customers accept this solution, but collectors recognize that a clock with a replacement movement holds little or no collector value.
In my case, the horologist advised that my Ingraham Huron’s movement should not be replaced. Instead, it should be carefully restored to its original condition.
Collectors are always on the hunt for untouched examples, but finding an antique clock that has never been altered is rare. Using this clock as an example, a repair might reduce its originality—and thus its value—while a proper restoration could increase both its appeal and desirability.
Questions for the Collector
When deciding how to approach an antique or vintage clock that needs work, I ask myself the following:
- Is undoing the “damage” caused by an earlier poor repair considered an overly invasive procedure?
- If the repair was done shortly after the clock was made and clearly documented, should it be left untouched?
- Is a poor repair part of the clock’s historical provenance, and should it remain as-is?
- Would bringing the movement back to its original state be considered a restoration or a repair?
- In the case of the Ingraham Huron, does removing all the solder qualify as minimal invasive intervention?
- Will the repair enhance or diminish the clock’s value?
- Would choosing not to repair or restore it be considered conservation?
In my view, conservation represents the least invasive form of intervention, while repair and restoration involve progressively greater degrees of change.
So, how far would you go?
In the end, the question of how far to go in repairing or restoring a clock echoes the ancient Ship of Theseus paradox. When every part of a clock has been repaired, replaced, or renewed, does it remain the same clock? Perhaps the answer lies not in its parts but in its essence—the story it tells, the hands that have wound it, and the generations who have listened to it mark the passing of time. Whether we choose to repair, restore, or conserve, each decision reflects our own philosophy of preservation: what we value more—the clock’s originality, or its ability to keep time once again.
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Ron,
As usual, you’re getting a rather long comment from me. 🙂
This is a great article, but I feel that the rather quick descriptions really don’t emphasize some of the key points about renovation (restoration) vs preservation vs conservation. Conservation has very strict guidelines that can be a real nightmare to work around, depending on the project. Conservation not only means using the same materials and methods as the original (to make any repairs) but it also means that none of the original surfaces of the object can be modified in any way. All repairs must also be completely reversible – even something as simple as a small paint touch-up, or a scratch in the finish.
I know that in the UK, a Grade I listed building must be repaired using only authentic and original methods and materials to the period when the building was constructed. This might not sound too bad at first, but it can be a huge pain, and an exorbitant expense to any homeowners who end up purchasing a listed building. Any rotted beams (as an example) have to be replaced with hand hewn log beams of the correct size and wood species, which are probably close to 30x or more than the price of just buying some dimensional lumber. You also can’t add anything like pressure treated materials. Same with walls. Any wall repairs usually have to be made with hand mixed and applied horsehair plaster ($$$). I’ve watched several episodes of “Restoration Home” which is a UK series, and some of the restorations cost millions. To add to all this, all the repairs and materials have to be approved. If you want marble tiles in your kitchen, but it wasn’t available at the time, you can’t use it.
This site has a pretty comprehensive (but not overly lengthy) breakdown of the categories:
http://www.conservation-design.com/newsletter1_BA.html
When I see big solder blobs like in your Huron movement, I will remove the soldered plates (and buff as much of it off the brass plate as possible), and on the wheel, I will remove the blobs and clean up the surfaces lightly (I do this in the lathe). It’s very hard to remove all of it, but I aim to improve the look without being excessively picky about it.
As per your questions, here are my answers:
– No
– Yes (I am picturing hole-closing punch marks or hand made bushing in a longcase clock)
– This is harder to picture. I would hardly consider keeping a poor repair “just because so-and-so” did it. I’ve seen horrifying repairs, like a coping saw blade as a suspension spring. If the “repair” was a replaced hand, or a replaced pendulum or weight (which is not excessive) then I would consider leaving it. If I removed the repair, I would keep the parts with the clock.
– Both? Probably a restoration. In a lot of cases it’s not possible to completely return any movement to its original condition. Something like a dovetail tooth repair would mean replacing the entire wheel with a new one. The brass would also have to be custom cast to be exactly the same colour, etc. In the case of hole-closing punches, very large bushings would be required o completely remove the punch marks, etc. In general it is acceptable and desirable to return movement in as close to original condition as possible.
– Yes. I would consider invasive to be replacing large elements. Removing “add-ons” is not invasive to the movement itself, because they are essentially separate components. An example of an invasive repair that could be essential, but that would be visible is replacing a badly damaged escape wheel bridge on an American movement. Most were a specific shape, and riveted in a specific place. It’s very rare that one would need to be replaced, but I have one clock in my collection where this was done, and it looks AWFUL. I plan to re-repair this and make a custom bridge of the correct shape and layout, and to fill the new rivet holes. This will be a very invasive repair, because the repair will have been done twice, but the final result will be “back to original” with “battle scars” left behind from the previous bad repair.
– A well done repair will not devalue a clock. Generally the movement isn’t visible, and as long as it’s not a replacement movement, the value should not be affected much. In this particular case, the removal of the solder blobs, the patch plate, and plugging the extra hole would likely increase the value.
– Yes, but considering that the clock does not currently work properly, and that the repairs are very unsightly, the conservation would not be adding to the value of the piece.
I would love to hear your feedback regarding a similar situation with my John Birge column clock movement. This one was filled with AWFUL repairs.
http://jcclocks.blogspot.ca/2016/01/john-birge-co-movement-restoration.html
– Was the movement more valuable with the bad repairs, or after the repairs?
– Did any of the old repairs have historic value or merit worth keeping?
– Has the value of the movement been increased or decreased? Has it stayed the same?
– Were these repairs minimally invasive, or very invasive? Some are more than others, discuss.
– Should the old bent nails and wire pins have been kept? What about the replaced fan wheel? The repaired crutch wire (which was partially original – but keeping in mind that it’s fully visible through the dial)?
– What about the solder on the locking plate?
– Would it have been preferable to leave some of the bends and kinks in the strike wires?
JC
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Hi JC. Thanks for your comments and thanks for answering my questions. You have given me food for thought. Yes, I could have written at length but in this world of soundbites, getting the message out as succinctly as possible supersedes an in-depth article but your point is well taken. I have gone to your January 2016 article on the Birge clock and will attempt to answer your questions in the next day or so.
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Interesting questions! It’s a very nuanced situation. Instead of answering your questions (which I’m going to think over) I’ll pose you a new one about my dream repair and maybe you can provide your opinion on how invasive it is. My dream is to be able to laser cut or 3d print parts to replace broken parts in a clock movement, instead of having to buy a whole other movement and scavenge parts. Imagine a movement that was completely defunct because of 2 missing/broken parts – now it has 2 3D modeled or laser cut parts to replace them and works like a charm. It’s repair, hopefully it doesn’t involve drilling any holes or in any other way damaging the movement as it was, and in a way it restores the clock to (a form of) its original condition. I’m aware that some horologists do this to various extents.
This is what I really want to be able to do and hopefully given another year or so of learning, I’ll be able to. The 3D modeling part I’m ready for (I’m a mechanical engineer). I think it is not necessarily invasive, but it still would only appeal to a specific subset of collectors or buyers.
To your questions, I’m going to think on them and get back to you!
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Thanks for commenting. Those who fix clocks often rely on donor parts. Case in point. I have a 114 year old Gustav Becker Vienna Regulator. When I got it, the movement was missing a star wheel. The star wheel is used to advance the strike. I sourced out a movement from Poland but had to ensure that the new donor movement was from the same factory (Braunau) and because the movements are numbered according to date of manufacture I had to get one as close to the time the original movement was was made in order that the star wheel would fit properly. Why, because there were subtle differences in the design of later star wheels. Even 114 years ago clocks were mass produced but there were occasional production changes, just like today. Now that the part is in the clock and if I decided to sell it, I would have to disclose that the movement is not totally original and that parts were sourced to get the clock to proper running order. The buyer would accept the repair if the parts were period-correct. If I were to put new 3D parts in a 114 year old clock I would be faced with an interesting dilemma.
However, if the clock had sentimental value and was intended to be passed on to family members, a 3D repair would be a great option. If the clock were a common mantel, wall or shelf clock like a gingerbread for instance, the addition of 3D parts would not likely effect the value in my opinion. After-all buyers are always interested in a running clock even if some compromises had to be made.
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