This is my first experience with a tall case clock from the 1850s and my first venture into English bell strike movement servicing. Let me explain. Although the case was made in Scotland, the movement, dial and weights are all from Birmingham, England made at or before 1850. The clock was in fair condition when … More Restoring an 1850s Scottish tall clock case – Part I
Older readers growing up in the rural areas of Canada and American have fond memories of the one-room schoolhouse clock located in the front or rear of the classroom. Just how did the schoolhouse clock get its name? As the teacher instructed the students to work quietly on their own students would look up furtively … More The schoolhouse clock – how it got its name
Putting together a list of all the clocks I desire really appeals to me. The more I research the antique and vintage clock world the more discerning I have become as a collector. Most clock collectors evolve as their tastes change and after collecting for more than 10 years I have changed my thinking on … More My antique and vintage clock wish list
Back in December 2019, I wrote about the challenges of adjusting the strike side of this attractive parlour clock, a Waterbury York, circa 1900. Despite many attempts the strike side refused to work. Though I was close to a solution but I did not realize it at the time. I put it aside to think … More Waterbury York parlour clock – a fresh approach to addressing a non-functioning strike side
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 I receive letters from all over the world asking my advice on a number of clock issues such as how a particular component of a mechanical clock should work, a clock repair challenge, … More Search for my past clock articles using keywords
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 My daughter found this vintage Sessions electric table clock, a model 3W and gave it to me as a Christmas gift. It is made, by the Sessions Clock Co. Forestville, Connecticut in 1936 … More Sessions electric table clock refinishing – a father-daughter project
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Tick Talk Tuesday #24 – key required for family clock. Tick-Talk Tuesday is about the letters and comments I have received from you, the reader, concerning your clock, issues you might have had, … More Tick Talk Tuesday #24 – key required for family clock
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 The movement in this Canada Clock Co. time and (hour) strike cottage clock from the late 1880s is a mess but fixable. Some past repairs are acceptable while other leave a lot to … More Canada Clock Co. – a frustrating movement
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Is this a German box clock? It certainly appears to be a typical time and strike German box clock with the addition of finials. I discovered it behind a bar at a resort … More Is this a German box clock?
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Is the ultrasonic cleaner indispensable for clock repair? The short answer is “no”. I know many in clock repair who hand clean clock movement parts, have had good success over the years and … More The ultrasonic cleaner – is it essential for clock repair?
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Small shelf clocks of the 1930s from BlackForest Clock Co. of Toronto shared a simple German-made time-only movement across the line. The movement has tiny wheels and pivots plus a clever twisting pendulum … More Plate clock movement – simple but finicky
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 The only exception to my collection of mechanical clocks is this vintage Sessions electric auto-start table clock, model 3W, made by the Sessions Clock Co. Forestville, Connecticut in 1934 and sold throughout Canada … More Session Electric clock model 3W – refinishing the case
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 In this article, I will describe the steps taken to inpaint and restore the dial of an Arthur Pequegnat time and strike gingerbread clock. But first, what is inpainting? And what does it … More Pequegnat gingerbread clock and dial inpainting
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 There are a fair number of Canadian clock enthusiasts that have various sized collections of Pequegnat clocks. Skip Kerr‘s extensive collection immediately comes to mind. Although my collection is modest by comparison with … More My collection of Arthur Pequegnat clocks
In light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Here we have a nondescript mantel clock from the Fleet time Company of Montreal. This little known Canadian clock company had a short life between the years 1936 and 1940 producing a range … More Fleet Time Company of Montreal – Westminster chime mantel clock
Hi readers, in light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19 Dating a clock can be a challenge and often an estimate within a range of dates is the best that can be accomplished. Dating some clocks can be relatively easy as … More Dating an antique Gothic Steeple Manross clock
The disassembly of an antique tall case clock need not be a daunting task. When I bought this clock at auction at the beginning of 2020 I put into practice some of the things I had learned when transporting a Ridgeway grandfather clock in 2013. My advice is to work slowly and methodically but think … More Disassembling an antique tall case clock
Amid the health crisis ensnaring the world today finding escape is good for the soul. Social distancing, self-isolation, and sheltered-in-place are terms representing new realities. However, we must all use our time at home constructively engaged in meaningful activities and mine is the repair and restoration of old clocks. Horology allows me to drift into … More 7 reasons why a hobby is your oasis for the coming dark days
While waiting for movement parts I continued to work on the case of this antique Canadian cottage clock from the mid 1880s. The dial needs attention and in this article I will describe the procedures for in-painting the numerals and decorative elements. Decorative hand-painted antique dials need attention from time to time. Through environment and … More Canada Clock Co. Hamilton Cottage Extra – dial in-painting
For the past several years my wife and I have been searching for an authentic antique tall case clock. I finally found one at an estate auction an hour down the road from where I live and seized the opportunity to purchase a clock I knew practically nothing about. In this blog article, I will … More Scottish tall case clock circa 1850s
Servicing this clock from the Canada Clock Company was a real challenge as I encountered many issues that conspired to slow my progress. I found this clock in an antique shop in downtown Truro, Nova Scotia at basically a give-away price. The seller knew nothing about the Canada Clock Co. and that was fine with … More Canada Clock Co. – 30 hour time and strike needs some love
I want to talk about one of the most useful tools in clock repair, the pivot locator. As an avid horology enthusiast for the past 9 years, I have been steadily building my knowledge of clock repair and with it a selection of essential clock tools.
When people living in the Yukon Territory, Canada switch their clocks forward to Daylight Saving Time Sunday March 8th, it will be for the last time. The government announced March 4th, that the territory will keep the time change permanent, after hearing an overwhelming majority of residents said they would rather remain an hour ahead … More Day light savings time – time to see it end
Why does a mechanical clock movement require servicing? The answer is fairly straight forward. Keeping your clock in good running condition requires maintaining the movement’s working parts and maintaining the working parts reduces wear. Ideally, most clocks should be serviced every three to five years to maximize longevity and ensure proper functioning. This article describes … More Seven steps to servicing an antique or vintage clock movement
In this, Part II of my Seth Thomas time and strike shelf clock servicing I discuss bushing work, cleaning, final assembly and testing. In Part I, my observations (and preliminary repairs) concerning my Seth Thomas round top shelf clock were as follows.
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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