Every blogger understands that building a successful blog takes time, often requiring months or even years to cultivate a loyal following. Challenges, patience, determination, and hard work eventually lead to finding a successful rhythm.
With over 825,000 page views since 2015, and an average of 24,000 monthly views, I recently reviewed my blog’s statistics to identify the top 10 most popular posts of all time. Most entries on the list align with my expectations, catering to visitors seeking basic advice on clock acquisition, winding keys, or determining the value of their clocks. However, some are more unexpected.
Without further ado:
1. How to wind a mechanical clock – a How to Guide
2. Dating an Antique or Vintage Clock Part I
3. An 8-day clock – what does that mean?
4. Oiling Your Mechanical Clock – a Quick Guide
5. Cleaning an antique/vintage clock movement – Ron’s method
7. Horolovar guide and how to determine the correct spring for your 400-day clock
8. Regulating your mechanical clock – it’s easier than you think
9. My antique clock stopped – what do I do?
10. Dating an Antique or Vintage Clock – Part II
More importantly, analyzing the top articles reveals that the majority of visitors to my blog are either newcomers to clock collecting or repair, recent owners of antique clocks seeking information, individuals with some knowledge looking to expand their expertise, or enthusiasts deeply engaged in the clock repair hobby seeking additional insights.
Experts in the field may seek information elsewhere, which aligns with my blog’s intended audience. My blog was never aimed at those operating clock repair businesses, involved in the antique clock market, or pursuing extensive restoration projects, but I provide a way for those dabbling into antique clocks for the first time or those seeking answers to common questions all in one easy-to-navigate place.
Antique and Vintage Clocks 
Ron provides a valuable service.
Local watchmakers, (clock repairers), as also as the neighbourhood one time common Radio & TV Repair Shop have largely disappeared. I, and would think a lot more of Ron’s readers find the information on his site to either actually do a repair or at least understand what’s involved.
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Thanks Marty.
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I have been collecting clocks for some 35 years keeping some, selling others. Recently (in the past year and a half) I have been on a buying spree and have purchased, in online auctions, about two dozen clocks. The prices, I find, have been extremely low. $15, $20, $ 40 and so on. These are clocks that in the 1980’s were selling for $250-$450! Do you think the market will change in the next 10 years?
I enjoy your blog and often find the information helpful.
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Well, that’s a tough question. In my view the internet killed the antique clock trade. Common clocks that sold for several hundreds dollars years before the Internet can be had for far less. I don’t think there is much beyond pocket money that can be made for the trade of common antique clocks. Do some clocks appreciate? Clocks such as unaltered lantern clocks, double fusee bracket clocks, jeweler’s regulators, small French repeating carriage clocks, special longcase clocks produced by notable clockmakers and some interesting novelty clocks continue to climb in value.
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This is genuinely why I follow you on tumblr. You’ve given me so many great lists and, as a person who wants to get into clock repair and was not raised by people who never taught me common mechanical processes, I find this blog to be a really soft entry into a world that is very heavy in language and concepts I simply don’t have a background for. I’m really thankful to have found a resource that doesn’t go hard first into basics of clock repair as someone who assumes the reader has a basic understanding of parts and how they work together.
Your blog has also connected me with a lot of resources. So I’m really thankful that you’ve taken time to help this trade continue. One thing that I’ve noticed is that people get immediately excited when they hear that I want to get into clock repair. There is something still so intrinsically interesting and compelling about time pieces and clocks even though we’ve switched as a culture to a more digitized way of consuming the passage of time and media.
At any rate, I’m really glad your blog exists. I’m not sure how good of a hobbyist clock repairer I’ll be, but I know I’ll always have a source to find information in a way I can digest it.
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This is genuinely why I follow you on tumblr. You’ve given me so many great lists and, as a person who wants to get into clock repair and was not raised by people who taught me common mechanical processes, I find this blog to be a real soft entry into a world that is very heavy in language and concepts I simply don’t have the background to understand. I’m really thankful to have found a resource that doesn’t go hard first into basics of clock repair as someone who assumes the reader has a basic understanding of parts and how they work together.
Your blog has also connected me with a lot of outside resources. So I’m really thankful you’ve taken time to help this trade continue. One thing that I’ve noticed is that people get immediately excited when they hear I want to get into clock repair. There is something still so intrinsically interesting and compelling about time pieces and clocks even though we’ve switched, as a culture, to a more digitized way of consuming the passage of time and media.
At any rate, I’m really glad your blog exists. I’m not sure how good of a hobbyist clock repairer I’ll be, but I know I’ll always have source to find information in a way I can digest it.
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It’s not about whether you’re highly skilled or not; what’s important is that you enjoy the process of clock repair. Even if you’re not an expert (and I certainly do to call myself an expert), understanding your own limitations and knowing how far you want to take a project within your capabilities is valuable.
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