Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks

Exploring Amazon’s selection of clock repair manuals presents several appealing options. However, purchasing these manuals can be intriguing, as it’s often challenging to know exactly what you’re getting until they arrive at your door.

I bought three such clock repair manuals this spring. The “Antique Clocks Repair Manual” by Phoenix Publishing, “Clock Repairing for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide on How to Care and Repair Clocks from Scratch without Prior Knowledge or Experience” by Angless Juliana, and The Clock Repairer’s Bench Manual by D. Rod Lloyd. Only one of these purchases has any real value for the clock repairer. Read on to find out which one is worth the purchase.

The “Antique Clocks Repair Manual” by Phoenix Publishing

The “Antique Clocks Repair Manual” by Phoenix Publishing is an AI-generated manual with no author. While AI-generated content can be useful for producing a large volume of material rapidly, it often lacks originality, has no creative nuances that come from human authors, and lacks detailed processes.

The manual is 130 pages long and consists of 39 chapters, covering topics from the history of antique clocks to teaching clock repair to others. Unfortunately, none of the chapters is particularly detailed. For instance, the chapter on disassembling the movement merely instructs you to take it apart without providing specific steps. It advises, “Once the movement is out, you can begin taking it apart. Make a note of the order in which parts are removed and carefully place them on a soft cloth to avoid scratching or damaging them. Be extra careful of any delicate components such as springs and gears.” This is not very helpful advice!

“Clock Repairing for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide on How to Care and Repair Clocks from Scratch without Prior Knowledge or Experience” by Angless Juliana.

“Clock Repairing for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide on How to Care and Repair Clocks from Scratch without Prior Knowledge or Experience” by Angless Juliana. At first glance, an intriguing title.

If I were looking for a manual on clock repair for beginners, this seemed to be it, judging from the title. For $8.95, it seemed like a bargain until I opened the book to page one.

The book’s cover suggests a reference to mechanical clocks when in fact, it is about caring for your battery clock. The pages are not numbered, contain no photos or diagrams, is 40 pages in length in a large font (80 words per page).

There are six chapters. In chapter four, “Why do clocks stop When They Do?”, I will quote the entire chapter, “Connections to the battery that are loose or unclean. Low battery warning. Battery pips are insufficiently long. Due to the accumulation of dirt and grime in the mechanism, there was an excessive amount of friction”. It’s puzzling why a manual would be dedicated to battery-operated clocks, as these are typically disposed of rather than repaired in our throwaway society.

The book title is very misleading. I’m surprised that an author would attach their name to such deceptive content. I would not want to be associated with a publication of such low quality.

The Clock Repairer’s Bench Manual by D. Rod Lloyd

I have saved the best for last because the third purchase has real value, in my view. The Clock Repairer’s Bench Manual by D. Rod Lloyd is a large 8X10 manual, and at 378 page,s it covers a broad range of topics on the repair of mechanical clocks. For instance, page 73 begins with general comments on making repairs and covers topics such as pivot polishing, using a bushing machine, addressing bent pivots, replacing a pivot, repairing broken teeth, and so on, with plenty of photos and diagrams, and walk-through descriptions. It is a comprehensive manual that will be useful for anyone in clock repair, from the beginner to the expert, and it is the only one of the three I would recommend.

Unfortunately, none of these books can be found in a bookstore, where you can easily decide whether to buy them with just a quick glance.

For other clock repair books in my collection and those that I highly recommend, please navigate here and here.