What is a shelf clock? If you have a number of clocks as I do it can be quite confusing to describe each specific type to the average person but it is really quite simple. Let me explain how you can identify the clock you might be looking at. The term shelf clock is a broad category but I believe it can be … More The shelf clock – what is it, exactly?
Shelf clocks such as the one pictured have always been hard to find though I did stumble upon this one very recently (April 2016) at an antique store in Great Village, Nova Scotia. Why, because of their cheap construction and inexpensive movements, not many of these clocks have survived over the years. This one might have had a … More A curious little Blackforest shelf clock
Anyone who collects clocks knows that Waterbury clocks have had a long and illustrious history but did you know that the modern day Timex watch can trace it’s roots all the way back to the Waterbury Clock Company? Let’s start with my Ingersoll-Waterbury time and strike mantel clock that I picked up late last year (2015) and following which we will explore this … More My clock and Mickey Mouse are related!
I hear this so often when I am purchasing clocks for my collection. Time and time again (pun not intended) I walk into someone’s home with the intent to purchase an antique clock and I am greeted by the same words more often than not, “It was my mother’s clock” or a variation, “My grandmother had this … More It was my mother’s clock
Restoring the case was relatively simple. After a thorough cleaning to lift the accumulated grime, a wax overcoat, touch-ups in discrete areas with yellow shellac, the case is very presentable for a 138 year old clock. I cleaned up the brass bezel but left the paper dial untouched. The hands are original and left those … More Ingraham Huron – the secret within – Part III
If you been here before you will notice that I have changed the look of the blog so as to make it easier to follow past articles quickly. I may revert back to the old style but I will try this out for a short time. If you have an opinion, lease let me know.
In my last post I profiled my latest acquisition (April 2016), a Ingraham Huron shelf clock, and now we will look at the movement, the case in more detail and other aspects of this fine clock. What makes this clock special is the case. The movement, a time and strike, was found in thousands of … More Ingraham Huron shelf clock- Part II
My most recent acquisition (April 2016) is an Ingraham Huron shelf clock. The Huron is one of the less commonly found Ingraham models, having been manufactured briefly between 1878-80. The clock you see here is Rosewood Veneer “Huron” Shelf Clock, by E. Ingraham & Co., Bristol, Connecticut. It has paper on a zinc dial with a round glazed door … More A rare clock – the Ingraham Huron – Part I
This article is about a curious term that you might have heard concerning clocks and clock collecting. The term is FrankenClock. Let me explain. Have you ever bought a clock and as much as you hoped that every mechanical part, finial and piece of trim is original and you later found out through experience, research or knowledge … More Is Your Clock a FrankenClock? Key Insights for Collectors
I am writing about an experience I had on a local for-sale site today and wonder if others have had the same happen to them. I found this Waterbury Halifax time-only wall clock for sale at a reasonable price. It had issues. It was not running and the top centre finial was missing. I was … More The ethics of buying used clocks – one that got away
Should every clock collector have a Grandfather (tall case or long case) clock? No, but it was something I had always wanted. In 2012 I was perusing a local for-sale site and came upon this particular Ridgeway grandfather clock. The ad said that the clock was in excellent condition. When I called the seller and asked … More Ridgeway Grandfather Clock
If you’re expecting a post about clocks from the Black Forest region of Germany, I apologize for the mix-up. This article is actually focused on the Forestville Clock Company of Canada. Forestville clocks were assembled in Canada with foreign movements in local and foreign-made cases through the late 1920s to the mid-1970s. This particular Forestville … More Forestville mantel clock
I acquired this beautiful Mauthe Horse Crown Vienna style wall clock in the fall. I inspected it carefully enough before the purchase but it was not until I got it home that I discovered a finial or perhaps a trim piece missing from the base area on the bottom. Once hung the clock did not … More A detail can make all the difference
This is a Sessions Tambour style clock that I have been working on for the past two months. I bought it as a non-working clock. As I said in a previous post it is a fairly attractive mantel clock featuring a mahogany finish with faux inlay just south of the dial. It was made in the late … More Sessions Tambour – Beveled Number 2
It is time to buy the tools I need for clock repair. I already have a number of basic tools to get me started; pliers, letdown chucks, screwdrivers, etc. However, my first significant tool is an Ollie Baker Mainspring Winder which arrived from the USA today. It is pictured below. The Ollie Baker comes with … More Clock Repair Tools
December 18th marks the day that my Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf fan-top is off to repair. Sadly this is a repair that I cannot perform myself at this stage of my learning. The problem is essentially a clutch plate off the centre arbor that is not engaging the gear for the strike side. The result … More Maple Leaf clock is sent off for repairs
Another wall clock has joined my collection, so let’s take a closer look at what I’ve acquired and whether it was worth the price I paid. The clock was advertised locally in the Truro, Nova Scotia area. The seller knew little about it beyond its provenance, but what he did share was an interesting, albeit … More Mauthe Horse Crown Century-old Wall Clock
In November 2015, I added an Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf “fan top” to my collection. The clock was advertised as non-running, and the seller’s description was accurate—it had its share of challenges. While gingerbread-style kitchen clocks don’t typically appeal to me, I felt that, as a Canadian, if I were to own one, it should … More Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf Kitchen Clock
I did not pay much for this Sessions tambour style clock (circa 1927) though my first thought when I picked it up was that I paid a little too much, such was the work that awaited me. This was obviously a non-working clock when I received it and it did not take much to discover why. It … More Repair and Cleaning of Sessions Beveled Number 2
This is a Sessions Tambour style clock that, according to the label on the inside back access door is a Beveled Number 2. Seems like an odd name for a clock. It is a fairly attractive mantel clock featuring a mahogany finish with faux inlay just below the dial. It is a time and strike … More Sessions Tambour Style clock
Probably not a household name in its time, yet U. M. Müller produced clocks that could stand proudly beside the finest German makers of the early 20th century. Their box clocks, in particular, became strong competitors, capturing a market that was shifting away from the ornate Vienna regulator toward something more modern, practical, and affordable. … More U M Muller Box Clock
Restoring and repairing antique clocks is a rewarding and sometimes challenging journey, and my latest project has been no exception. I recently acquired a time-and-strike mantel clock from the Enfield Clock Company, a British manufacturer known for its utilitarian designs, especially post-war. In this article, I will share my experiences as I continue to restore … More Smiths Enfield Mantel Clock
I acquired my Sessions Raven clock about a year ago. It had been serviced by someone knowledgeable about clocks and arrived in excellent condition. The movement had clearly been disassembled, oiled, tested, and the case carefully reconditioned. Interestingly, it also came with a set of instructions from the person who had worked on it. I … More Sessions Raven clock
No serious collector would admit that they have a Daniel Dakota wall clock in their collection. I have two! One was converted to quartz. The other was gifted to a family member. Are they attractive clocks? The functional styling is borrowed from American and German box clocks; they are not what one would consider a … More Daniel Dakota wall clock
I have dis-assembled this clock twice. After the first dis-assembly I cleaned and oiled it, found everything to be in order but once I assembled it, bench-tested it to find everything seemingly correct and set the beat it would not run more that 5 to 10 minutes at a time. When it stopped it seemed to catch on … More Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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