Circa 1845 Chauncey Jerome Ogee Clock

An ogee clock is so-called because it is a 19th century U.S. shelf clock with a distinctive S-curve (convex above and concave below) molding.

30-hour ogee clocks were very popular from the early 1840s to as late as the 1890s, a good run for a distinctive style of clock. Before the days of the Internet, these clocks fetched hundreds of dollars at auctions houses and antique stores. Along came eBay and prospective buyers quickly learned that large numbers of these clocks were produced in their day and the supply of clocks flooded the net and prices dropped accordingly. I have 5 ogee clocks among my collection of over 100 clocks and have never paid more than $60 for any of them.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The distinctive case has housed movements other than the 30-hour time and strike commonly found and some are quite desirable. Fusee, single weight 8-day time-only, calendar models, minis, Gesso fronts, 8-day time and strike clocks, and a few unusual ones have good value.

30-hour clocks are worth collecting and if you a new to clock repair, they are a great clock to begin your journey.

This is a Chauncey Jerome 30-hour or one-day clock from about 1844-1845 and based on my research, the movement is from the same period. So, an excellent chance that the case and movement started life together. The pendulum bob looks very old and hard to say if original as pendulums often go missing during a clock’s life. But I’m not sure a modern pendulum bob would have similar detail.

The dial is in good condition with attractive Gesso spandrels although the Jerome name under the twelve is barely readable and the chapter ring has faded. The moon hands also look original and the clock came with the correct weights. The mahogany veneer, while very dirty is almost flawless.

Not original is the strike bell as the clock would have had a coil gong. The suspension spring and leader are missing. A top wooden block that attaches the movement to the case is also missing and the label, printed by John Benham, though readable, has some losses. The suspension spring and leader can be easily sourced, the block fashioned from old stock and I have a spare Jerome style coiled gong in my parts bin.

The tablet design did not look original at first glance but after removing a piece of cardboard (first photo) and Christmas wrapping paper behind the glass I discovered a frosted tablet with thistles and flowers. The red paint might have been added and it is very possible that it was not painted originally.

The plan is to service the movement, source missing parts, and refresh the case.

I am not a strong believer in maintaining the original patina which one reader opined is just another word for dirt. The case will be cleaned with Murphy’s Soap and a coat of shellac will be applied.

Original materials and techniques will be used when working on the case. This includes the use of traditional shellac (flakes mixed with shellac lacquer), and fasteners like old slot head screws, old wood, and square nails. The replacement coil gong is very similar to other Jeromes I have seen and will come out of a donor ogee case. There are a few stray pieces of label at the bottom of the case that will be glued back in place.

There is not a lot of demand for ogee clocks today as reflected in their asking price. Perhaps the 30-hour ones are considered a hassle for some as they must be wound once per day, nevertheless, I find them very appealing.

Coming soon will be an article on servicing the movement and later on, refreshing the case.

November 19, 2021

My Approach to Clock Restoration

Every clock enthusiast has their own way of doing things and each has a different approach to clock restoration. Am I different? Not really, but I have put some thoughts to paper that you might find interesting.

Like everyone I started out knowing virtually nothing about clock restoration but learned as I went. As I gained confidence and improved my skillset I took on greater challenges.

Not long ago I bought a nice 30-hour non-running Chauncey Jerome ogee. I would not consider this clock a huge challenge but it will help explain my approach to clock restoration.

The case is from the 1840s and based on my research, the movement is from the same period. There are a few things wrong with it and that is expected from a 176-year-old clock.

Four Options

The clock case and movement are very dirty and the clock certainly has some issues but I am happy to report that a lot is original. It is on my bench. Now, what do I do with it?

I have four options:

Do nothing. Leave everything as-is, preserve the patina and display the clock without servicing the movement or cleaning the case.
Service the movement so that it is in running order but do nothing to the case, again preserve the patina.
Clean and refresh the case but leave the movement as-is.
Service the movement and clean the case, making small repairs if necessary.

Option 1. There are very few clocks where I would do absolutely nothing. If the movement is beyond my capability or requires a complex repair and the case requires extensive repairs or any intervention on my part will potentially make it worse, I will leave it alone.

Option 2. Not a good option for me. There is no point in servicing a movement if is going back into a dirty case and risk the movement becoming contaminated with dirt and debris.

Option 3 If the movement is beyond my capability or requires a complex repair I will leave it alone and proceed with cleaning the case.

Option 4. This is my preference. My end goal is minimal invasive intervention which means that I will service a movement and address wear issues where necessary. I will refresh the case if it is grimy and requires a good cleaning. I am not a strong believer in patina which one reader opined is just another word for dirt. As much as possible, I use original materials and techniques when working on the case. This includes the use of hot hide glue, traditional shellac (flakes mixed with shellac lacquer), and fasteners like old slot head screws, and square nails.

In rare cases where I am met with a significant challenge, I will perform a complete restoration with the goal of bringing the clock back to its original condition. I call this extreme restoration.

Here are two examples. Both of these clocks are running daily.

I believe that some amount of intervention is not only necessary but desired by collectors and I also believe that there are situations where a wholesale ground-up restoration is the only option.

In the case of this miniature Vienna Regulator cleaning and oiling the movement, and polishing the brass was the only intervention.

*Miniature one-weight Vienna wall clock*

My position regarding changes to a clock

My end goal is a functional clock that presents well. As far as I’m concerned a non-working clock must become a working clock because that is the nature of its existence.

If a clock has important provenance and extensive repairs to the movement and/or case alter it in a negative way and I will leave it alone.

And what does the ogee clock i mentioned in the beginning of this article look like now?

I am sure you will agree that it is not a dramatic change at all but it is now a working clock that presents well.

November 14, 2021

Gilbert mantel clock movement servicing

Let me say that I am not a huge fan of clocks with steel plates. Although most have brass bushing inserts punched into the steel, I am always fearful that there is not enough brass in the insert to prevent cutting into the steel plate and ruining a cutter. But in this case, my worries were unfounded and this clock presented no such headaches.

The movement is stamped 17 which was Gilbert’s way of identifying the year the movement was made, which in this case is 1917. The case design is somewhat reminiscent of clocks made in the early 1920s but Gilbert no doubt made a run of these movements and put them into various clocks some years after the Great War.

It is a time and strike with a passing strike on a bell on the half-hour.

I was not really looking for a mantel clock but I saw it online during the summer of 2021 and I thought it would be a good summer cottage project to keep me busy. I didn’t have the right tools for bushing work so I cleaned the case, replaced a broken hour hand, inspected it for wear, oiled it, and ran it through the summer.

It certainly needed cleaning but a month of running would do no appreciable harm. It was reliable and it kept reasonably good time, or as reasonable as one could expect of American clocks of this period.

It looks like one of those clocks that had a few years of running, was disassembled and cleaned at least once but spent most of its life sitting prettily on a shelf.

There are a number of scratch marks on the movement which tells me that it has been worked on before. No bushing work was done but I see punch marks around the escape wheel bushing rear plate and that’s about it.

*Pivots and lantern pinions are all in great shape*

There is minimal wear; the lantern pinions are in very good shape as are all the pivots. As for bushing work, based on my initial assessment at least 4 bushings are required; second wheel strike-side backplate; third wheel time-side backplate; second, third, and fourth wheel strike-side rear plate. But, the wear is consistent with a clock that has reasonably good care during its life. There was plenty of brass material for the inserts and bushing went easily.

The movement has more than its fair share of helper springs, two in the upper part of the movement for the striking levers and two in the bottom, one for the half-hour strike on a bell and one for the hour strike. Getting all these helper springs to wrap around their respective posts is frustrating but doable although it is probably helpful attaching the lower springs while assembling the movement rather than wrestle with the springs after the movement is put together.

I have worked on a few Gilbert time and strike movements over the years and this one was no different. It is midway through the second 8-day test cycle and running well.

Other than some new bushings and a replacement hour hand, that is all there is to it.

I like this clock. It has simple lines, looks good and I think I will keep it.

November 10, 2021

Restoration work on a 181 year old weight driven banjo clock

There are basically three types of banjo clocks with mechanical movements. Those with lever escapements which are usually in the $75 to $100 range, spring-driven ones that are generally $100 to around $300 and up but weight-driven banjo clocks occupy the upper end of the range and are normally between $300-$500 in fair condition and upwards of thousands for desirable clocks made by Simon Willard or E. Howard.

When my wife discovered this particular clock on Facebook Marketplace for $100 I suggested she make an offer for $75 and the seller immediately accepted. It is always a risk buying or accepting an offer without first examining it but this, I believe, was an excellent prospect and for the price I was willing to take a chance.

It is weight-driven federal style cased banjo clock from the 1840s. I have since learned that the clock was very likely made by John Sawin in 1840 (Boston) by himself or one of his apprentices or associates.

Unfortunately, there are no identifying markings on the movement or the case but there are strong indicators that this is a Sawin clock. John Sawin apprenticed under Simon Willard and was a journeyman under Aaron Willard, famous clockmakers of the day and makers of the original patent timepiece.

Everything is intact except for the dial class which was broken at some point in the clock’s life.

The broken glass is convex which prompts an interesting question. Is the glass a replacement and if so, did these clocks originally come with flat glass?

There is a school of thought among most horologists that simple mahogany cased clocks with wood bezels and an absence of ornamentation that were made in this particular style back in the 1840s had flat glass installed. Presentation timepieces, on the other hand, such as those with gilt accents, sidearms, brass dial bezels, a lower bracket/finial and reverse painted glass tablets had curved glass.

Patent Timepiece 1825 by William Cummens with convex glass

My belief is that this clock originally had flat glass.

So, let’s move on with the various case issues beginning with the missing pieces of veneer.

Veneer

The only section that requires veneer work is the left and right bottom corners on the pendulum. Many repairers attempt to hide the missing veneer with touch-up stain but new veneer is the only way to go.

Although the case is made of mahogany I selected rosewood from my collection of harvested veneer. It has the same thickness (modern veneer is much thinner). Although mahogany has a slightly different tonal characteristic and grain, the match was very close. Since I used hot hide glue, the veneer can be easily lifted with heat at a later date but for now my goal is to disguise the missing veneer.

While I was working on the veneer sections I cleaned the case and applied a light coat of shellac. I am not opposed to applying a finishing coat to preserve and improve a clock’s appearance. The added benefit is that it enhances the grains on the case.

In my view there is no clear right or wrong answer and it should be left up to the restorer (and owner) to decide how the clock’s finish should be addressed.

The throat is in perfect condition.

The dial bezel has a crack at the 11 o’clock position which was addressed with hot hide glue. I forced glue into the crack, closed the gap with a number of elastic bands tied together and left it for 24 hours to dry.

The glass

Removing the old putty was a little more involved than I had planned. A heat gun would have been too much and I did not want to ruin the wood bezel but a 30W soldering iron was perfect for this job. I picked away and removed just enough putty to install the glass. I ordered 6 13/16 inch flat glass and it was a perfect fit. Wet putty is always an option but Plaster of Paris is easier to work with, does an equally fine job and secures the glass in place.

Plaster of Paris dries hard in 30 minutes and is stainable/paintable. I applied the plaster with a putty knife and smoothed it out with a wet finger.

Plaster of Paris is easy to work with and dries hard in 30 minutes

After several hours I applied a dark stain to give the plaster an aged look.

The plaster is stained to give it an aged look

The bezel is now ready to be attached to the case.

The finial

The final was in the pendulum box when I bought the clock. It now requires a new post. The peg was broken and a previous owner attempted to secure the finial with glue and, of course, that failed. The finial would originally have been mounted with a piece of dowel.

Using a piece of 3/8 inch doweling I cut off about 1 1/4 inches. I scraped off as much glue as I could from the bottom of the finial and the plinth and drilled out the old doweling on both the finial and the plinth. Once the dowelling was glued in place it was given a mahogany stain. It fits well and looks great.

Other case repairs

Other case repairs involved closing or filling several holes. For these repairs I used yellow carpenter’s glue for maximum adhesion.

Shavings from old veneer are glued into screw holes for the mounting ears and the case hook to ensure that those screws are secure.

The case repairs are complete and the last step is servicing the movement.

November 6, 2021

Daylight savings time – a scourge on us all

One week before the time change in Canada there were many reports of people waking up late because their phone switched to Eastern time – Quebec and Ontario, so if your phone told you it was 5am, it was really 6am. Bell Canada blamed this on a software glitch but it is a further reminder of how unnecessary the time change is to us all. What a frustrating experience to all those Bell customers who use their phones as an alarm clock.

Albertans were given a chance to decide in October 2021. The question posed to them was:

Do you want Alberta to adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is summer hours, eliminating the need to change our clocks twice a year?

Electors could vote “yes” or “no” on the question.

The Chief Electoral Officer announced the following results for the referendum:

“Yes” – 531,782 votes, representing 49.8% of valid ballots cast
“No” – 536,874 votes, representing 50.2% of valid ballots cast

No change for Albertans! Most affected in Alberta would be those living in the far north. Sunrise could be as late as 10am. But, no matter, they said “no”!

Daylight Savings Time has no place in our modern world. Of 195 countries in the world, approximately 70 countries observe Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of the country. Japan, India, and China are the only major industrialized countries that do not observe any form of daylight saving.

Top showing face and crown detail — *Vienna Regulator clock C.1870*

70 countries must live with it.

Clock face showing moon dial — *Ridgeway grandfather clock C.1996*

At 2:00am Sunday, set your clocks ahead one hour if you live in an area where the convention is still followed.

Regions that typically use daylight saving time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring and adjust them backward in the autumn to standard time.

In Canada, we have a little aide-memoire, “Spring ahead, Fall behind” to make it easy to remember what to do twice a year. In Canada, it is the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.

Case is in fair condition, dial face has some flaking — *Canada Clock Co. cottage clock C.1883*

How to set your mechanical clock(s)

Stop the clock and wait for the correct time, then, restart.
Move the minute hand slowly clockwise to the correct time, stopping briefly for the quarter-hour on chiming clocks and the half-hour for striking clocks. If you have a movement with a rack and snail you can move the minute hand quickly through the hours.
Do not move the minute hand backward unless the instructions that come with the clock specifically say that it is safe to do so. Otherwise damage to the movement will result.

Time change is a scourge, it is very wasteful and unnecessary in our modern world.

November 6, 2021

Clock testing stands for most purposes.

Girod movement on test stand,TimeTrax beat amplifier attached to movement.

What is ideal is one clock stand for servicing and testing all clock movements but unfortunately, there are so many different types and styles of movements that one size does not fit all.

I have written an article or two on test stands in the past but consolidating all my testing stands into one article might help the reader decide which one would work best for them.

Testing the Kienzle movement on a makeshift test stand

For the first one, I made a makeshift test stand out of scrap wood and what I like about this one is that if I require more holes to mount a movement, I could simply drill them where I need them. But I also like the idea of using it for those mantel clocks and small wall clock movements with seat boards.

This particular one has clamps so, mounting a movement is very easy since each clamp has a center horizontal groove. Once the height has been set, simply screw the clamps into the vertical rod. It takes seconds to mount a movement. The brackets are adjustable to about 10 inches.

*Junghans B11 movement on the test stand*

This test stand, called “Gene’s clock testing stand”, is very versatile. The movement can be mounted as I have done in the photo or bolts can be inserted through clock plates and into the cutouts as in the photo below.

This is the same Gene’s stand as above but made for longer pendulum leaders. The home-made extension measures 18 1/4″ high by 9″ deep by 9 1/4″ wide. The bottom part is adjustable and fully detachable.

Clock stand painted — *Clock stand for tall case movements*

Finally, this is a 48″ stand for hall clocks or grandfather clock movements. It can accommodate two or three movements but I do not work on more than one tall case movement at a time. When used for testing purposes I anchor the stand to a wall to help eliminate sympathetic vibrations.

Clock stand one rail on — *Clock stand rails*

The stand is made of pine while the rails are constructed of yellow oak.

Every horologist should have at least one or more sturdy clock stands for testing clock movements.

Once you begin working on clock movements in earnest you will learn that a testing stand is indispensable and as you repair more movements one type will not be sufficient.

November 2, 2021

John Sawin banjo clock CA 1840

John Sawin was a prolific 1840s Boston clockmaker and many of his clocks have survived to this day.

The Key features of the Sawin timepiece share many of the attributes of the original Simon Willard Patented Timepiece. They are:

No striking parts reducing the number of wheels to a minimum for simplicity,
Making the distance between the plates wider allowing sufficient cord on the barrel allowing it run 8 days,
The push-pin catches on the bezel and lower access doors,
Placing the pendulum in front of the weight to ease repair and regulation,
The weight is reduced and made longer and wider,
The pendulum and guide are placed in front of the movement,
An oblong space in the pendulum so that it swings clear of the centre pinions and hour and minute collars,
The method of mounting the movement to the case. Works are fastened by two “ears”, the top right and bottom left backplate,
The calculation of the train in consequence of shortening the pendulum,
No method of securing the pendulum when transporting the clock,
Acorn top finial and wood dial bezel
The shape of the case,

The earliest timepieces from Roxbury had long screws from the front plate into the case in the upper right and lower left. Beginning about 1820 in Boston a single bolt from the back of the case into the movement was used as per Howard & Davis and E. Howard. North Attleboro movements had holes in the backplate in the upper right and lower left for screws into the case.

A John Sawin movement is distinguished by brass ears attached to the movement back plate in the upper right and lower left. Other Boston area clockmakers might have used the same casemakers so their cases probably would look similar to his.

Cases came from one of several casemakers in the Boston area. Case construction is helpful in identifying where the clock was probably made and movement for the maker, however by the 1830’s movement construction had become so generic that was really difficult to identify the maker. It is probable that were many small workshops run by former apprentices and/or journeyman clockmakers that supplied movements to the trade as needed by the existing makers in the various cities so it makes things even more complicated.

The real differences were how the movement was attached to the case and that gives us information on where it was manufactured.

The John Sawin Banjo headpiece is carved out. With the dial off, the headpiece of the case looks like two crescent moons facing each other, thin at the top and bottom and thick in the middle. There is a piece of cloth glued to the inside top of the case to hold the 2 crescent moons together.

*Two crescent moons make up the headpiece*

Unfortunately this clock has no identifying markings which means that it is quite possible that while it may not have been made by John Sawin himself but one of his associates or one of his apprentices. Still in all, it is a nice-looking clock and looks great on any wall.

October 29, 2021

Gilbert shelf clock

I am always on the lookout for clocks to add to my collection, and one of the places where bargains can often be found is Facebook Marketplace. While browsing the listings, we came across an intriguing clock from a small village in Quebec. It was my wife who pointed it out, thinking it would make an interesting addition to our collection.

From our summer cottage in Quebec, we made the short trip—about half an hour—to a nearby town to see the clock. We learned it had spent its entire life in this quaint village. Due to the pandemic, we arranged the purchase in an unusual way: the agreed-upon amount was sent to the seller via eTransfer, and they left the clock in a recycling bin outside their home for us to pick up. The entire transaction took place without any in-person contact, making it one of the more unique methods I’ve used to acquire a clock.

The clock was wrapped in a plastic bag with a note attached that said, “Thank you.” As we drove away, I wondered if a clock purchased sight unseen would be what we expected.

It is a very simple clock, but we were pleasantly surprised by its condition—it has clearly had a good life. This clock is an excellent example of a nondescript mantel clock that could be found in thousands of homes across Canada and the USA during the 1920s. Companies like Seth Thomas, Sessions, and others produced similar styles to appeal to those who could not afford the more elaborate, feature-rich upper-range mantel clocks offered by most manufacturers of the time.

The clock had been listed on Facebook Marketplace for $40 but had no takers for over three months. When the price was reduced, we decided to buy it.

It was described as a non-running clock, but the key, pendulum bob, and all parts of the movement were intact. The only flaw is the hour hand—the spade end has been snapped off. While the clock is nothing extraordinary, once cleaned up and put in running order, it should look presentable and run well for years to come.

Normally, I avoid American mantel clocks from the 1920s and ’30s, as I’ve owned several in the past. However, I found myself drawn to this clock, largely because it appeared to be untouched and well-preserved. I expect some wear consistent with its age, but at first glance, it looks promising.

This clock was made by Gilbert, a well-regarded American clock manufacturer with a long history of producing clocks from 1841 to 1957.

The clock features no exotic veneers, appliqués, fancy trim pieces, or finials—just a plain, two-column, square-shaped, tinted mahogany lacquer hardwood case measuring 10 inches high, 5 ½ inches deep, and 10 ½ inches wide at the base. The enameled 5-inch dial with spade hands displays Arabic numerals. At the top of the dial, within the number 12, is a regulating arbor for adjusting the clock’s speed.

There is no identifying stamp on the rear plate, and the seller was unaware of the maker. However, once the movement was removed from the case, the markings became visible. The front plate bears the Gilbert trademark—a capital “G” within a diamond—along with “Wm Gilbert Clock Co., Winsted, Conn.” stamped on the right. At the lower center is the number 17, indicating the year (1917) when the movement was designed. The movement features steel plates with brass bushing inserts, which is not surprising given the brass shortages during the First World War (1914–1918), prompting manufacturers to use steel for clock plates.

The case has an austere 1920s look. The movement date of 1917 suggests Gilbert might have used the same movement for a number of years following the war. The entire case, especially the molded base is free of gouges, dents, and other calamities associated with the rough handling and careless storage of old clocks. The case was cleaned with Murphy’s soap revealing a beautiful mahogany finish underneath layers of dirt.

If the movement is complete, I can usually get the clock running within a few minutes with a few adjustments here and there. However, despite oiling the movement, checking the gap in the crutch loop, releasing the tension on the mainsprings, and adjusting the beat, the clock would stop after just a few seconds. It wasn’t until I removed the suspension spring that I discovered a kink, which was enough to prevent the clock from running. The suspension spring will be replaced during servicing, but after I smoothed out the kink, the clock began to run. The strike side required no adjustments and works well.

While oiling and basic adjustments like these are no substitute for proper cleaning, they help me identify the issues I’m dealing with. Minor wear will be addressed by installing a few bushings. For now, the clock is running as well as can be expected.

Judging from cobwebs within and around the movement, a couple of dead houseflies plus dirt and grime on the movement itself, I doubt this clock has been running for many years though it likely gave years of reliable service before it stopped.

The previous owner says the clock has been in the family for a long time. It had been his grandmother’s clock passed on to his mother. It was dusted and cared for but, “she got tired of dusting it”, he said and it ended up stored in a barn for the last number of years.

I don’t mind dusting it!

October 25, 2021

New Haven hall clock – Restoring the case

I found the clock on an online for sale site in the spring of 2021 and contacted the seller the same day. When I saw the sellers photos my first thought was that it was pretty reasonably priced for a hall clock, known by many as a grandfather clock. I decided to take a chance, arranged a meeting with the seller and arrived to pick up the clock.

During our brief discussion I learned that the clock is inexpensive for a good reason – it is not quite what I thought it was.

Missing are the door handles, otherwise it is complete. It has a mechanical movement with a pendulum but what I was not expecting was a spring-driven movement. Almost all hall clocks are weight-driven.

Is it a conversion? Was the old movement worn out and a new movement installed in its place. I don’t think so. There was never a seat board in the case as seat boards are almost always present on a clock driven by weights. So it seems that from day one this was never intended to be a weight-driven clock.

The case was likely made by someone other than The New Haven Clock Company and the dial, hands, pendulum rod and bob, weight chains, weights, acorn chain pull knobs and the wood dial face were purchased together as a package from New Haven and installed in the case.

*Fakes weight chains below the movement*

Okay, that’s different!

Cleaning or stripping?

The decision to clean or strip is made easy by a good cleaning. After a good cleaning it is better to assess whether or not it requires stripping. What was revealed was a very nice red oak case.

In the photo above the base, which was the last section to be cleaned, is almost black.

What is truly remarkable is the weight of the case and no wonder, the base sides are two inches thick. The top and base can be removed but the middle section alone cannot be lilted by one person, it is that heavy!

I left the cleaning aside to work on the hands and brass (fake) weights.

The brass hands might looks flimsy but they are surprisingly heavy. Brasso was used on all brass pieces except the dial numbers. They appeared to have been lacquered either from the factory or sometime later.

A very light coat of red oak stain accentuated the grain. I considered shellac for the final finish but opted for Wipe-on Poly, an amber tinted polyurethane.

Yes, there are flaws, nicks and scratches that are consistent with age but given that it is over 100 years old some of the flaws add character. The fake weights went back into the clock to complete the look of a weight-driven clock.

I like it!

October 21, 2021

Yard sale find – a 181-year-old weight driven banjo clock for less than you think

Yes, a weight-driven banjo clock for a surprisingly low price!

There are essentially three types of mechanical banjo clocks. Those with lever escapements are usually in the $75 to $100 range, spring driven ones are $100 to around $200 and up but weight-driven banjo clocks occupy the higher end of the range and normally cost between $300-$500 in fair condition to upwards of thousands for Simon Willard or E. Howard clocks.

My wife discovered this particular clock on Facebook Marketplace for $100. I suggested she offer the seller $75 and the seller immediately accepted. I think they just wanted to get rid of it. However, it is always a risk buying a clock sight unseen but this looked like an excellent prospect and for $75, why not take a chance!

From the photos provided it is a weight-driven federal style mahogany-cased banjo clock from the 1800s. The movement is intact because the seller sent a video showing the pendulum bob moving from side to side.

Looks like the original dial and original hands

It has a top acorn finial which appears to be original to the clock. I thought it was missing the carved reverse scrolled side arms and the bottom base piece but not all of these clocks had bottoms or side arms.

The original banjo styled steel hands and the painted face appear to be in good condition. The broken glass bezel can be easily replaced. The case is dirty and requires a small amount of veneer work. I also see the winding crank in the bottom of the case.

I picked it up in late June 2021.

The day of the pickup

We arrived at the garage sale and met the sellers. My wife was curious as to the provenance of the clock and we were told that it had been in the family for more than 60 years having spent most of its life in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

The clock was heavy which meant the weight was inside the case. Had the weight been missing, sourcing one would have been a problem but it is best to have the original weight.

We had few errands to run in the city and did not return home till late in the evening. Minutes after coming through the door I had the clock on the kitchen table and a screwdriver in hand taking it apart.

A Boston made banjo clock

After studying it further and comparing the clock to others online and through my inquires with members of a clock forum site I learned that the clock was very likely made in 1840 in Boston by John Sawin who apprenticed under Simon Willard and was a journeyman under Aaron Willard, famous clockmakers of the day and inventors of the original patent timepiece.

Later, I will profile the clock with detailed images of the movement, dial face and aspects of the case and more information on clockmaker John Sawin.

Is this the find of the year? I certainly believe so!

October 17, 2021

Tick Talk Tuesday #36 – a tall case clock is transformed

Tick-Talk Tuesday is about the letters and comments I have received from you, the reader, concerning your clock, issues you might have had, challenges you face or a clock you would like me to profile or my responses to your questions with advice on your particular clock concern. For those comments and questions that stump even me, I consult within my clock circles for the best possible answer
Author

In the spring (2021) I found a tall case clock on an online for sale site at what seemed to be a bargain price. It is not what it appears to be. Although you can clearly see weights on the inside of the clock case it is not a weight-driven clock but a spring driven clock with fake weights.

I bought it anyway.

The New Haven movement was serviced and the case was cleaned almost down to the bare wood. It looks terrific and keeps good time. I don’t normally send photos back to the seller on a clock that I have rejuvenated but I thought, what the heck, the seller might be pleased that it went to a good home.

My email to TC:

“No need to reply but I just thought I’d send along a photo of the clock you sold me. The clock runs perfectly, everything has been polished, the movement taken apart and serviced and the case refinished.”

TCs reply;

“Wow…. Looks really good. Hard to believe it’s the same clock. Glad you got the clock all fixed up.”

Sometimes the time and effort is worth it.

October 12, 2021

Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors

On November 2-3, 2019 the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors held its first meeting. Members came together from various parts of the Maritimes to meet in Prince Edward Island (Canada) to form a club of like-minded individuals.

A educational component of the meeting, a lesson in bushing

Unfortunately the pandemic scuttled all plans for a subsequent meeting but the climate is right for another face-to-face meeting shortly. In the meantime the group has stayed connected through email.

The goal of this group is to gather individuals of every skill level from across the Maritime provinces (PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) to share experiences, mentor each other, learn new techniques, provide opportunities to acquire clocks/watches and foster social interaction.

We chose the name MAWCC, the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock collectors. We agreed to no less than 2 meetings per year but that sub-groups would meet more frequently.

At this point in time we are not affiliated with the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) an American-based clock and watch group.

Demonstration of the cleaning of a mainspring

If you are from the Maritime region of Canada (Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) and you have a keen interest in advancing your skills in horology or just beginning your journey into clock and watch repair and would like to connect with like-minded individuals, contact Wendell Feener at wcfeener@eastlink.ca

October 9, 2021

The Pressed Wood Kitchen Clock

Ah, the kitchen clock!

Most clock enthusiasts have at least one kitchen clock in their collection and some collect them exclusively. I am not a huge fan of them but they very popular and considered important clocks because of their relatively low cost and availability.

Thousands of inexpensive oak-cased clocks were made by various American and Canadian manufacturers in the late 19th Century to the early part of the 20^th Century. They are cheap, plentiful, reliable and easy to regulate.

They were typically sold in box lots of a half a dozen or so to merchants and offered for sale to customers for a unit price of around $4.50.

Although commonly called the kitchen clock it is sometimes called the pressed wood clock.

The designs were created by using high pressure rotary presses on oak wood that had been pre-steamed to soften it. The front of the clocks frequently displayed glass tablets with bronze or silver gilt designs.

This Arthur Pequegnat Canuck clock (above) is a typical pressing with floral designs on the top crown, base, and side columns, two upper rosettes and a framed access door with a floral style glass tablet.

Pressing designs into wood was much less expensive and quicker than machine carving, though the designs tended to be taken to excess at times like we see on this Sessions Grand Assortment with a top heavy ornate crown.

American manufacturers offered kitchen clocks with slight variations in the configuration of the case components and the decoration on the glass panel. It was common to name or number the clocks and present them as part of a series.

All kitchen clocks were 8-day running and featured either a one piece or two-piece 6-inch painted dial with Roman or Arabic numerals, railroad track minute chapter ring, and blued moon shaped or spade hands. A pendulum regulated the timing. The clocks included a half-hour strike on a bell or a coiled gong and some were offered with both bell on the half-hour strike and coiled gong on the hour. Additional features such as an alarm added pennies to the cost.

With inexpensive changes in the design for the press and minor changes to the case elements, clocks of different designs could be produced. Design elements for the pendulum varied between a plain round bob to a decorative pendulum bob in many pressed wood kitchen clocks.

Steam pressed designs were not confined to kitchen clocks and quickly found their way to wall clocks like the Gilbert Admiral.

I have about 100 clocks in my collection and only two are steam-pressed. It is not a style that I am actively seeking but, admittedly, some are attractive. They are easy enough to find, fairly cheap and are relatively uncomplicated to service.

October 5, 2021

New Haven movement servicing

This movement came out of an unknown tall case clock that I am certain did not come out of New Haven’s factory. The case appears to have been made by an unknown case builder and I believe the movement, coil gong, dial face, and pendulum were all sourced from the New Haven Clock Company as a package, a kit, if you will.

The movement is a spring-driven count wheel time and strike commonly found in clocks for export. The chains are there for show. From the outside the clock may look like a weight-driven grandfather clock but it is clearly a fake!

Disassembly and assessment of work to be done

The movement is held together with five pins. The number 27 is stamped on the movement. Other makers stamped their movement with dates of manufacture but I don’t think that’s the case here. It appears to be the length of the pendulum in inches. A 27 inch pendulum corresponds to 4350 beats per hour or 72.5 beats per minute (BPM). Ordinarily, weight driven tall case clocks are 60 beats per minute, so this movement looks good running in the case and will fool the average person.

It has 9 extra holes on the front plate, obviously designed for a number of configurations. For example, there is an unused pivot hole to the right of the fan which would have accommodated a fan with a different sized 4th wheel, presumably for another style of clock case.

With the top plate removed the gears and levers are exposed. I found three anomalies.

One, there is an additional piece soldered onto the escape wheel bridge. Since there are no new bushings anywhere on the movement I can only assume that the bridge piece is the fix for a worn pivot hole.
The fly. I should have taken a photo. Two pieces of brass were jammed into the arbour which I assume was meant to tighten it. Flies are meant to be a little loose because they act as an air brake to help arrest the strike strain at the end of its cycle.
The third is the mainsprings. Try as I might I could not remove them from their arbours. I did not want to force them so, left them as-is. I immersed the gear plus mainspring together in the ultrasonic cleaner (not ideal) and used a hot air blow dryer to ensure the parts were dry.

Other than the above issues, there is not a lot of wear on this movement. The pivots are in great shape, with no wear evident on any of the wheel teeth, and the only pivot hole that must be addressed is the escape wheel bridge, the one that was “repaired”.

All parts were cleaned in the ultrasonic, dried and the pivots were polished. The movement was reassembled to check for general wear.

There is some pivot hole wear on the lower parts of the trains which, to me, is acceptable since all the gears mesh nicely. Since I am keeping the clock I am not concerned at this point. I plan on inspecting the movement every 2-3 years to determine if any bushing work might be required. So, I am content with a little wear.

Pivot work

One bushing was installed on the escape wheel bridge. I chose a 1.50 mm ID Bergeon bushing, 2.00 mm high with an OD of 3.5 mm. Since the pivot is 1.54 mm in diameter, the hole had to be reamed out with a cutting broach followed by a smoothing broach. While I drilled from the top (see below) I punched the bushing in from the bottom.

While polishing the pivots I discovered a bent arbour, the second wheel, which is also the strike wheel. Prior to servicing I checked out the movement on a test stand and noticed that the strike train would run for a period and stop. No doubt the bent second wheel arbour was the culprit.

The strike side mainspring is a replacement and a mainspring break likely caused damage to the second wheel. A broken mainspring does not always cause a problem but when they break a considerable amount of energy is released. As a general rule, if you are working on a movement with newer mainsprings check for damage up the train.

It is odd that the bent arbour was not caught when the mainspring was replaced. It is not hard to see the bend when spun on a lathe. It is always a risk straightening an arbour but since it is soft steel the chances of a positive result are very good. A staking tool was used to straighten it.

Using a staking tool to straighten and arbour

Assembly and testing

The movement was reassembled. I positioned the third wheel locking pin in the 12 o’clock position on the strike side to ensure the strike side would go into warning. I then synchronized the count and drop levers and managed to get it right the first time.

Since this is a large movement with a long pendulum, a grandfather clock stand is ideal for testing.

The movement has been running a week as of this writing and striking as it should. I will continue to run it for at least two more 8-day cycles before returning it to its case.

Next is refreshing the case. It is very dirty with over 100 years of grime. I am curious to see what lies underneath multiple coatings of dirt.

October 1, 2021

Maintaining a hobby after the pandemic

The pandemic was certainly devastating and no doubt changed everyone and everything. Nothing will ever be quite the same.

As Dickens would say, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. There are no hidden positives in a pandemic but if anything, this past year has given many of us the gift of reflection. It has also given us a chance to slow down and appreciate what is important in life. Part of that slowing down process has allowed us to pursue interests and hobbies that we not have otherwise had time for. Fortunately, my hobby was long established before the pandemic and it helped me get though some tough days.

Once the pandemic is over, what happens to that newfound hobby? Hmm!

Let’s say your new hobby is clock collecting and repair old clocks but i could be just about anything. How do you maintain your new hobby beyond the pandemic.

Everybody loves lists so here we go!

Connect with like-minded people: In this age of social media, it is easier now than ever before. There are newsgroups, forums, and discussion groups for just about anything. I spend time on the NAWCC.org newsgroup where I find solutions to the challenges of clock repair. Input any hobby and you will find discussion groups aplenty and who knows, future friends. I connect with like-minded folks on Facebook.

YouTube is your friend: There are literally millions of videos and if you select the right terms you can find information that might offer solutions to your hobby problem. There is a lot of good advice but not everyone is an expert. I subscribe to several reputable YouTube channels in clock repair and I find their advice helpful. But it is a truly a jungle out there.

Research your hobby: Your local library is an excellent resource. The staff will help you narrow your search for information. For those staying at home, there are some very good websites that are run by well-respected professionals in their field. Blogs and Youtube are other good sources for information. The NAWCC has a subscription-based online research site that I find excellent.

Start simple and progress slowly: if you have tackled something more that you are capable of in the beginning you will become easily discouraged. When I was starting out in clock repair I began disassembling and servicing time-only and 30-hour movements before progressing to more complicated clocks. Start simple, gain confidence, hone your skillset and work up to more difficult challenges.

Screw drivers, clock tools — Screwdrivers, an example of basic clock tools

Combine your hobby with other interests: My wife and I love to travel. Admittedly it has been difficult in the past year but small staycations have sustained us. We buy clocks online and travel to different parts of the province to pick them up.

My other interest is photography. Repairing clocks and photography go hand in hand. I take pictures at every step of the way when servicing my clocks.

Using depth of field to isolate the foreground image

Invest in the right tools at the right time: Invest in the right tools at each stage of your hobby; start with the most basic tools that you can find at a hardware or craft store. Spread your costs over time buying things as you need them.

Strategic purchasing means buying that expensive tool when you are absolutely sure you need it and have made a strong commitment to your hobby. For example, in clock repair, there are three essential tools that can be rather pricey. Over the course of four years, I bought a mainspring winder ($450), a bushing machine ($1550), and a mini lathe ($800). You can live without any of these tools and I know many clock repairers who manipulate mainsprings without a spring winder, who bush by hand, and who use a portable drill or drill press for clock repair. Buying used is an option but whatever the case, buy according to your means.

Don’t be discouraged if things don’t go exactly as planned; A lot of us have high expectations when starting anything new. We have to realize that in any hobby there are hills and valleys, times when things are going well, and times when there are obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. For some hobbies, there is a steep learning curve.

Stick with it, Perseverance is the key. In time mountains become molehills.

Move out of your comfort zone; I work on many simpler one and two train clock movements but seldom work on 3 train movements which are much more complicated. However, I will buy the odd one to help me build confidence and broaden my skillset.

Despite my best efforts the strike side on this parlour clock refuses to run

Keep records: Records can be in most any form from handwritten notes to photographs, to an Excel spreadsheet (see below) or a written account of your successes and experiences such as a blog or website.

Keeping records reminds you of your successes when you are at a low point in your hobby and provides motivation to tackle new challenges.

Well, I hope that provides some ideas for maintaining your new hobby. A hobby can be a transitory thing or life-long pursuit but in tough times it is the one thing that sustains many of us.

September 27, 2021

Kienzle time and strike movement servicing

I have just one other Kienzle clock in my collection and it is a rather unusual one, the World Time desk clock from the 1940s. I do not come across Kienzle clocks very often. They are no lessor quality than most German clocks, I just don’t see many around this region.

The latest is a German styled round top box clock. It was a an auction buy. I knew it was German at the time but did not know the maker. After a little research I discovered that it is made by Kienzle Uhren.

Kienzle Uhren GmbH is a well-respected German clock company that has a long history.

The company was founded in Schwenningen in southern Germany, in the Black Forest, by Johannes Schlenker, in 1822. In 1883, Jakob Kienzle became part of the family by marriage, and took control of the company, becoming its sole owner in 1897.

Jacob revolutionized production by mass-producing individual components and then assembling them. This modern manufacturing approach led to a massive expansion, and by 1939, Kienzle had over 3,500 employees and was making about 5 million wall-clocks and table clocks per year.

The company continued on through the years, changing hands a few times and gradually shifted production to wristwatches. It continues in business to this day as a watch maker.

The movement

In many respects it is a typical well-engineered German movement from the 1930s. The movement is compact in design and anyone who has worked on German movements will feel right at home. It has a 43 cm pendulum length and runs at 104 beats per minute as per the stamping on the back plate.

Kienzle movement, back showing pendulum leader and strike hammers

Front plate showing rack and snail mechanism

Unfortunately, the spring barrels cannot be removed separately, the movement must be completely taken apart to replace the mainsprings if they break.

The 4 hammer strike assembly can be taken apart separately. One advantage is that once the plates are back together the strike paddle can be easily positioned on the star wheel. The strike has a repeater function which is handy.

With top plate off and showing the placement of the wheels

All parts are hand-cleaned before putting them in the ultrasonic cleaner. Taking excess oil and grime off the movement prior to cleaning ensures a longer life for the cleaning solution. When the solution gets dirty enough I discard it.

The movement has a combination of leaf and lantern pinions, leaf pinions on the second wheels and lantern pinions up both trains. I expect the ultrasonic will do a great job cleaning the lantern pinions.

Taking the mainsprings out of their barrels

The mainsprings must be taken out to be cleaned and the barrels cleaned in the ultrasonic. The springs are quite powerful and mainspring troubles account for many problems with German clocks.

When the mainspring breaks movement damage can result. Teeth are torn form the barrel and the first leaf/lantern pinion is destroyed or the second arbor is bent. I have had movements go both ways from severe damage to simply a broken mainspring (which is easily replaced).

Cleaning of springs and barrels is therefore essential not only to ensure they are free from old oil and dirt but to inspect them for cracks, breaks, and tears. These mainsprings appear to be in very good condition.

I typically preheat the Polychem Deox 007 solution and run parts for 20 to 30 minutes in the ultrasonic, switching off the heat midway through the cycle. I dry all the parts by hand and for the lantern pinions and some parts that seem to hide water, I use a hairdryer to ensure that everything is free of any potential rust build-up.

The mainsprings, which are cleaned of old oil are done separately in the ultrasonic cleaner.

All parts except mainsprings are placed in the ultrasonic cleaner

The next step is putting the re-oiled mainsprings back into their barrels and for that a spring winder is a must. Polishing the pivots come after that.

Olie Baker spring winder. Cleaning the strike side mainspring

Bushing work

This movement might have been cleaned at one point in its life based on pivot scratches on the inside of the plates and worn screws on the back cock but it has never been bushed. When I tested the wheels in the movement I found the time side ran relatively freely while the strike side seemed stiff and sluggish. So, the movement is worn but the wear would be no more than typical for its age.

Following my first assessment I have determined that the movement requires as many as 10 bushings, 6 on the backplate and 4 on the front or, 5 on the strike side, and 5 on the time side. As expected there is more wear lower in the trains.

On the front plate are:

The second wheel time side, third and fourth wheel on the time side and the verge.

On the rear plate are:

Second wheel on the time side, second and third wheel on the strike side, third and fourth wheel on the strike side and the verge.

I always like to start with the most difficult, the pivot hole on the back cock which supports the suspension spring, crutch and pendulum.

In total 12 bushings were required, including the escape wheel. The escape wheel was pretty sloppy both front and back, and better to do those while the movement is apart. 12 is probably the most I have installed in a German clock in quite a long time.

Reassembly and testing

I generally perform a power test prior to the final assembly of the verge, rack and snail, and all outside pieces. It is a good check against my bushing work and if anything is tight or stiff I can address it without taking everything apart. Everything looked good at that point.

Both trains are moving and being tested before the other parts go on

However, with verge installed, pendulum leader, crutch and pendulum, the movement consistently stopped after a few minutes. I took it apart and discovered that the 4th wheel on the time side was moving stiffly. As that wheel had a new bushing installed all it took was reaming out the pivot hole to free it up. Now the movement is running well.

Onward to the strike side and attaching the levers, snail and rack. The levers, rack and snail and gears are attached and finally the strike hammers are installed. The strike hammer posts must be bolted in from the inside of the back plate, something to remember when reassembling the movement.

When I got the clock only one strike hammer functioned but with all hammers repositioned all 4 strike hammers are doing their job and producing a melodic bim-bam strike.

The case does not require much attention other than a cleaning with soap and water.

There is absolutely nothing on the movement, gong block or case that tells me who the maker is though I now know it is definitely a Kienzle.

September 22, 2021

Hall clock mystery is solved

Welcome back. The mystery is solved!

In the spring of 2021 I responded to an ad on a local online for sale site for what appeared to be an antique hall clock. It was inexpensive and I now know why. The seller bought it 20 years ago and in the midst of downsizing it had to go.

I knocked on the seller’s door, she answered. The clock was a few feet from the front door. It looked quite a bit larger than I imagined. Will it fit in our wagon?

Prior to loading the clock into the car, I noticed that the weight cans were very light. The seller said the weights were fake. She gave me a key and I inserted it into the winding points to discover mainsprings, something I was not quite expecting for a hall clock. Okay, I’ll take a chance on this one, and the price is right.

The base and the top crown lift off, presumably to ease relocation. My wife and I loaded the clock in the car. Everything fit nicely. The case is very solid and unbelievably heavy. The clock just fit into our station wagon. On the way home I thought, how strange, a clock with faux weights.

When I arrived home my curiosity got the better of me. I removed the hands, then the dial which was, interestingly enough, quite heavy. Once the dial was removed I saw a large spring-driven New Haven mechanical movement.

Why is there a spring-driven movement in a hall clock?

Did this clock have a weight-driven movement at one time? The spring driven movement is mounted on a raised platform, interesting. Later, I will remove the platform to see if there is any evidence of a seat board as weight-driven movements almost always sit on a seat board.

The ladder chains are crudely screwed onto the backboard to simulate a weight-driven movement, hence the empty weight cans.

The next day

I removed the raised platform and could not see any evidence of a seat board ever being in this case.

I do not believe this is a New Haven factory clock. As far as I can determine it started life as a grandfather clock with a spring-driven movement and fake weights. Spring-driven Mission style hall clocks were made with fake weights by some makers many years ago so, they are not so rare and New Haven did sell mechanical packages to case builders.

I have no idea why the cord is tied to the strike lever as it serves no useful purpose.

Next steps

I am not overly concerned, it was cheap.

Are both the case and movement antiques? The movement is stamped 27. This could be a date stamp but it is more likely the length of the pendulum in inches. The movement plates are pinned rather than held with screws or nuts suggesting an older New Haven movement. My research tells me that it is referred to as a square-aperture movement and appears on occasion in Anglo-American clocks.

I removed the movement from its case and mounted it on a test stand. It runs for a short period and stops. The movement runs at 72 bpm, not quite the 60 bpm one would typically expect from a hall clock but still, it looks like a weight driven clock. Yeah, fake!

My take on this clock? The cabinet was made separately perhaps in a shop along with others, and a New Haven movement, dial face, numbers, hands, chains and weight cans were acquired as a kit and installed in the case. That is the only thing that makes sense.

In the meantime, I intend to service the movement and clean the case. Check for articles on movement servicing and cleaning the case in the next few days.

September 17, 2021

It’s an antique tall case clock but what make is it?

I saw an ad for an old clock on a local online for-sale site and it piqued my interest. The photo of the clock is provided by the seller.

My wife and I have been looking for a Arthur Pequegnat hall clock for the last couple of years and I thought I found it for a bargain price. Arthur Pequegnat was a Canadian clock maker and were in business from 1903 to 1941. Pequegnat hall clocks are sought after by Canadian collectors.

It is certainly in the style of a Pequegnat clock made in the early 1900s or so but the more I looked at it the more I felt that it is something else. Below is a photo of a trio of Pequegnat hall clocks.

It was the clock hands that made me think twice. They appear original to the case but they do not appear to be Pequegnat hands and the case does not appear to equal the fine workmanship of a Pequegnat.

The ad said $100 and I offered $90 but I must drive an hour and a half to pick it up. It is a non-working clock said the seller but comes with weights and pendulum.

My guess at this point is a New Haven. In any event a good deal unless the clock has been altered in a negative way.

Check back in a few days and I will reveal the mystery.

September 12, 2021

30-hour clocks in my collection – a complete list

While I have over 85 clocks in my collection twelve are 30-hour or one-day clocks. One of the twelve is a relatively modern clock.

The history of mass-produced clocks in America began in the 1820s and 1830s with 30-hour clocks that had woodworks movements. While the clock business was booming with many companies selling clocks to the masses, an economic recession in the late 1830s brought clock production to a halt.

Pioneer clockmaker Chauncey Jerome, who was in the clock business at the time, considered his “business troubles and disappointments” and he along with his brother Noble formulated the idea that movements could be made from brass. Noble Jerome received patent number 1200 for his brass clock movement, issued June 27, 1839. Woodworks movements began to be phased out and replaced by brass movements which were made in the hundreds of thousands. 30-hour brass movements were made well into the 1860s and were eventually replaced by the 8-day brass movement.

Because 30-hour clocks were produced in the thousands many examples have survived to this day. Most clock aficionados today have at least one ogee clock in their collection.

Of the 12 in my collection 5 are running continuously. Yes, winding a clock everyday is a hassle but we often forget that at one time the thirty hour clock in the form of the bedside alarm clock was a fixture in every home but for this post I am excluding the dozen alarm clocks in my collection.

Half are weight driven, so let’s begin with those.

Sperry and Shaw

This, a four-column shelf clock designed in the “New York” style was made between 1841 and 1851. Sperry and Shaw were assemblers and distributors and sourced parts from various producers. The movements and cases could have been made by Silas Hoadley or Chauncey Jerome or both.

I bought the clock from student in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the fall of 2018 and he would not budge on the price. My only question to him prior to making the deal was whether or not the clock had the original wafer weights which would be almost impossible to source if missing.

Daniel Pratt and Son

This is the only clock I have with a woodworks movement. Daniel Pratt worked with others but eventually went out on this own in the 1830s. I would date this clock to around 1837. This clock was won at an estate auction for the price of $30 during a time when clock prices were hitting rock bottom. The clock has a wood dial and a mirrored lower tablet (may or may not be original) and the case is in very good condition for its age.

Chauncey Jerome

This clock is from around 1855, made just before Chauncey Jerome’s company went into bankruptcy. This was also bought at auction a few years ago. It came with an extra mirrored lower tablet and a “spare” dial. I am not sure if either the mirrored tablet or the JC Brown picture are original. The veneer, however, is in perfect condition.

George H. Clark

This is an ogee from around 1857. There is no makers mark on the works but it is a Waterbury type 2.411 movement. The case is well-preserved and in excellent condition, obviously well-cared for by a previous owner. The beehive tablet looks to be original.

Waterbury Clock Co.

This an ogee style clock from 1865. It was bought at an antique store in Halifax. There was no price on the clock. I asked the owner what he would sell it for. He said, name a price, I said $40 and he said, sold! Evidently it been in his shop for a while. It is the first clock on which I learned how to replace very worn trundles.

Cuckoo clock

This is a 30-hour cuckoo clock with a Regula movement, made about 1976. A cheap German made mass-produced “tourist” clock that was given to me by a relation. It still works but it is on its 3rd movement.

And now for the spring driven clocks.

Ansonia Cottage clock

This cottage clock is from about 1895. This another clock that was given to me. These were probably dollar clocks at the time. They had cheap movements but were solid and reliable. Surprisingly, these command good prices on the auction sites since so few remain.

Canada Clock Company

The Hamilton Cottage Extra is from about 1880. These are now very difficult to find since so few have survived. It is Canadian made and collectors will happily pay hundreds of dollars for one. It has a very cheap case made of softwood with no veneers. The acid etched lower tablet is quite unique. It was bought in a local junk store for $40. I could not believe my find.

Elisha Manross

The Manross is a thirty hour time and strike and called a steeple clock. One interesting feature is that the Rosewood veneer is in a vertical orientation on the side columns unlike most that have a horizontal orientation. It is also the only clock in my collection that has brass mainsprings which were phased out in the early 1840s making the clock historically significant. Needless to say that in order to preserve the mainsprings I run this clock infrequently.

Hamilton Clock Company

The style is known as gothic steeple. The clock is from about 1876 and features a religious expression on the acid etched lower tablet, “Cling to the Cross”. There are some veneer losses but the clock is in decent shape. The steeple tips never seem to survive on these clocks.

Hamilton Clock Co. 30 hour time and strike

New Haven

This is a spring driven time and strike ogee from around 1875. Unfortunately the veneer has been stripped from the case and the softwood re-stained but it is an attractive little clock nonetheless. The dial is a replacement and the lower tablet has some losses.

New Haven

This a called a Sharp Gothic according to the label. It is an American-made clock sold by a jeweler by the name of Thomas B. Spike in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) in the 1880s. The lower tablet features a seaside Parthenon scene which might suggest it was one of many produced for foreign markets. There are some veneer losses but the clock is in running order and keeps reasonably good time. It has replacement mainsprings because it will run for 3 days on a wind. Not bad for a 30-hour clock!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of a part of my collection of 30-hour or one-day clocks and please leave a comment. As for expanding my collection of one-day clocks I am not sure that I would continue acquiring them unless I came across something quite unique or if one were given to me.

September 7, 2021

Sperry and Shaw 4 column clock back on the bench

The turned 4 columns of the New York style Sperry and Shaw clock drew my attention because it is so unlike many of the 30-hour shelf clocks of the time.

This clock was made between 1844 and 1851 when Henry Sperry and George Shaw were in the clock business together.

The label, which is in superb condition, and affixed to the backboard says 10 Courtlandt Street, the company headquarters at the time. Sperry and Shaw were not clock-makers but business partners and were regarded as distributors and assemblers or as Carl Drepperd in “American Clocks and Clockmakers” put it, “apparently clock racketeers” as they sold clocks with fake labels. Who actually made the 4 column clocks? I ‘ll leave that to the horological history sleuths.

The company sourced cases and movements, affixed their own stamp on the movement and placed their labels sometimes overpasteing other makers, inside the case, clearly an unethical practice.

Weight channels on either side of movement

The movement is Jerome-like and stamped Sperry and Shaw, New Jersey. The plates are thinner than a Jerome, evidently a cost cutting measure. The hands are not original, nor is the dial though both appear to be period correct. The lower tablet contains an engraved copy of the Bay of Quinte (Ontario), there to replace the original reverse painted glass.

An interesting feature is the narrow brick-shaped wafer weights (4 3/4 inches X 1 inch) that fit neatly into channels on the left and right with little room to spare. The strike side weight is only slightly lighter than the time side.

Service history

In January, 2019 the movement was disassembled and cleaned. All the parts were in good order.

The movement had been serviced perhaps more than once since there were punch marks around almost every pivot hole. Curiously there is only one replacement bushing on the escape wheel bridge, a later repair. Three or four pivots holes were slightly enlarged but not so much that they had to be done immediately. So, no bushing work at that time. I did not make any notes at the time regarding bushing wear but I suspect most of it is on the strike side.

The movement was re-assembled. The dial and hands were re-attached along with new braided nylon weight cords. After several days of testing the clock was running well.

May 2021

I have not been running this clock much in the past several months but I decided to wind both sides to see if everything was in order. As much as I love 30-hour clocks they are a hassle to keep running as they must be wound every day. Many years ago owners took this in stride as 8 day clocks were costlier.

The time side is now stopping after 5 minutes. At first I thought it might be a wear issue until I discovered the weight cord had, for whatever reason, slipped off the pully on the top of the case. It must have slipped off when I moved the clock recently. I repositioned the cable and ran the time side for a few hours just to be sure.

The other problem is the strike side. Lately the strike side has been running erratically. It either strikes the hour or runs continuously until the weight hits the bottom of the case.

The strike side needs an adjustment but there may be other issues. I won’t know until I take the movement apart. Once I have it apart I will address the wear issues I noted in 2019.

Disassembly

The movement was taken out of its case. The four retaining pins were removed and top plate taken off. After 3 years the movement is clean but the clock oil in the pivot holes is black.

I inspected the movement for wear. The lantern pinions have some wear but no more than I saw in 2019 and I have seen far worse in other 30-hour movements. As mentioned there had been a lot of punches around the pivot holes and from my inspection some bushings are now required. The ratchets and clicks look good and the gear teeth are in fine shape.

Sperry and Shaw 30-hour movement tested in the case

Bushing work

Three bushings are required; the time side second wheel front plate and the strike-side mainwheel and second wheel back plate. There is certainly wear on other pivot holes but not enough to justify more bushing work at this time. However, if this was a customer clock I likely would have bushed every pivot hole.

I did not like how bent and twisted the movement plates are. I am not sure whether this is the result of poor quality brass or the rough manipulation of the plates by a past repairer as they went about punching most of the pivot holes. I straightened the worst section so that I could have sufficient end shake for one gear but left the remainder of the plates as-is.

Reassembly and testing

These movements are relatively easy to reassemble. While everything went smoothly the strike side is still giving me grief and is no better than when I began.

However this time it is a simple adjustment issue. There is no need to take the movement out of the case to make the changes. I could see that the count and drop levers were not synchronized. The drop lever should be deep in the cam slot at the same time the count lever is in one of the deep slots of the count wheel. I slid the count wheel over to one side and repositioned it. The paddle should also be radial to the count wheel. I had to bent the paddle slightly to ensure that it pointed directly at the wheel hub.

These were subtle changes but made the difference between a working and non-working strike side. After 4 days of testing the dial and hands were reinstalled and the clock placed back on its shelf.

It bears repeating that if you are just beginning your journey into clock repair, the 30-hour ogee, because of the large gears, the overall simplicity and the absence of mainsprings make this a great place to start. I love working on them.

September 2, 2021

Pequegnat clock purchase may not happen and that’s too bad

I am writing this post during what we all hope are the final stages of the pandemic. As of this writing there are many rules in place because of the large number of active cases. One rule is that we are not permitted to leave our municipal areas (May 2021).

As a clock collector it makes it very difficult to acquire clocks especially if the clock that one wishes to purchase is outside ones permissible locale.

For example, I was looking at an Arthur Pequegnat “maple leaf” kitchen clock that was offered for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Bathurst, New Brunswick. Bathurst is about 4 hours drive from my home and in another province which simply means that I cannot pick it up from the prospective seller nor can the seller deliver it to me at this particular time.

I communicated with the seller and I agreed that the price was reasonable. She indicated to me that if she cannot sell it locally she will put it aside for me and when she travels to Nova Scotia, we can connect.

As a Pequegnat collector this clock would be a nice addition to the three other kitchen clocks in my collection.

In early May I floated the idea that it could be shipped to me and I would pay the costs. She replied that she had “googled” it and found the process too complicated and risky. I did not argue with her.

As we are driving through New Brunswick in late June I suggested we could meet at a neutral location near where she lives.

June contact

I contacted the seller this week Late (June) and suggested a rendezvous to make the deal. “I have to speak to my husband” said the seller.

In a modern relationship where each has equal decision-making power, clearing a purchase with the husband is, well, very archaic.

Three other Pequegnat kitchen clocks in my collection are the Canuck and two in the Maple Leaf series, the “pointed top” and the “fan top”

Arthur Pequegnat kichen clock — Arthur Pequegnat fan top kitchen clock

I suggested that we meet along the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) in New Brunswick and the seller replied that she was close to the highway. Well, she thought the TCH ran through Bathurst which is 2 1/2 hours away from the TCH. So, that will not happen. Too bad!

I like the clock and it would be a very nice addition to my collection but I will look elsewhere.

August 29, 2021

Pursuing a clock on an online auction

I have a growing collection of clocks with upwards of 85 in my collection. My focus is on clocks made in Canada that are entirely manufactured in this country or companies such as Fleet and Forestville, that assembled clocks with foreign/domestic cases and movements. In addition, I have many other clocks that were made in France, Briton, Germany, Austria and so on.

In terms of style, my particular interest is wall clocks. Within my collection, I have 21 wall clocks, the oldest around 1870, and the newest is from the 1930s.

I would like to add one more to my collection but it is sitting in an auction house awaiting my bid. This post will describe my experience bidding on a clock at an online auction. Did I win the clock? Read on and the answer will be revealed at the end of the post.

During pandemic times it is probably safer purchasing a clock online. There remains a risk however. Unknowns are the condition of the case, who the maker is, the state of the movement and what time and money it will take to service it. At this point I only have photos to go on. This is an estate auction and the auction house is located 1 1/2 hours drive from my home.

The clock appears to be a vintage oak-cased German time and strike from about the 1930s. I am guessing Mauthe as the maker since there is no indication from the auction information as to who made the clock. Many German makes have the company name or logo on the dial face; there is nothing on this one. Nevertheless, It looks like a good prospect and I will chance it.

Box clocks were all the fashion in the 1920s and 1930s but those with round tops were less common. Many German tall case or hall clocks of that era had round tops so it is unusual to see a round top on a wall clock. Nevertheless, it is a very attractive clock with simple lines in the Art Deco style.

The three tall panes of beveled glass look good. There appears to be a scratch or a crack on the right hand section of the door about halfway up, but nothing is showing on the inside of the door in that area.

There are no pictures of the movement but one can see the movement seat board thumb screws and the winding arbours in the next shot. The rod gong is visible behind the pendulum rod and it looks like a rod lock at the midway point.

The item description does not say it is running and it does not come with a key. The pendulum is crooked on the auction photo which might mean the connecting hook is broken or it is hooked incorrectly.

This is an online auction called a “Lockdown Live Auction” that, as of this writing, closes in one day.

I have a good feeling about winning this item for four reasons.

One, it is the only clock offered which means that clock collectors will not be drawn to this auction,
There is no reserve bid, the opening bid is $5.00 A reserve is off-putting because auction houses that seldom have clocks for offer, price them higher than they are worth,
There has been no pre-bidding yet and,
It is offered without a key which means that it may or may not be running and might or might not need adjustment or repair. The casual collector might avoid this one.

The auction house allows all bidders to set up a “watch list” and I will be monitoring the bids on this item until the item hits the “auction floor” tomorrow.

A Google search reveals that this style of clock is uncommon but I found one that sold at auction for $100. It was described as an unknown German wall clock.

What would I bid? I am going no higher than $75 but winning it for less would be nice. The final price includes a buyers premium of 15%, 15% sales tax and shipping.

The next day

At 10:30 AM there have been a couple of pre-bids and the clock is now at $12.50. I held off bidding until 8 minutes before it came up for sale at 8:00 PM. At the 8 minute-to point the bidding was $22.50. I placed a “high bid” of $60 which means paying only a small amount more than the next highest bid. Not wanting to get caught up in last second bidding, I walked away from the computer. I was prepared to let it go if I lost the bid.

I returned later to discover that I had won the item for $52.50. With buyers premium, tax, and delivery the final cost is $73.43.

Who is the maker?

The clock arrived. There is no trademark name on the dial face, and nothing on the outside of the case to identify the maker.

The movement sits on a seat board, typical of most German clocks. I released two thumbscrews at the bottom of the seat board and slid the movement out for further inspection. There is no maker’s mark on either the movement or the iron block of the 4-rod gong.

These two shots are the front and back of the rack and snail time and strike movement.

There are two numbers on the bottom right of the rear plate, 43 (length of pendulum rod) and 104, (beats per minute). Using those two numbers and the search terms “German”, “wall clock” and “round top” I conducted a search on the internet and found a matching clock. I compared the design of the plates on mine with the clock I found and it is a Kienzle from the early 1930s or late 1920s.

Who is Kienzle?

Kienzle is a well-respected German clock company that has a long history.

He revolutionized production by mass-producing individual components and then assembling them. This modern manufacturing approach led to a massive expansion, and by 1939, Kienzle had over 3,500 employees and was making about 5 million wall-clocks and table clocks per year.

The company continued on through the years, changing hands a couple of times and gradually shifted production to wristwatches. It still exits today.

The most distinctive feature of this clock is the 4-rod bim-bam strike. Probably the nicest sound of any striking clock that I have.

I wound both sides and it runs well but the movement is dirty and requires a servicing. Stay tuned for that.

August 24, 2021

Chauncey Jerome 30-hour ogee has stopped – the trouble with trundles

My Chauncey Jerome 30-hour Ogee weight driven time and strike clock has stopped for no obvious reason. Let’s see if we can get it going again.

But first, no-one can deny that Chauncey Jerome had made a historic contribution to the American clock industry in the 18th century when he substituted brass works for wooden works and was said to be “the greatest and most far-reaching contributor to the clock industry.” Although he made a fortune selling his clocks, and his business grew quickly his company ultimately failed in 1856.

After researching Mike Baileys excellent site on Jerome clocks I was able to determine that my clock is a number 11 Ogee made just before the Jerome bankruptcy, 1855. The patent 30-hour brass movement is the number 1.314 which is likely in its original case.

C Jerome 30 hour movement testingin the case — C Jerome 30 hour movement testing in the case

The only time I serviced the movement was in February 2018. It was dirty as expected and it appeared that no work had been done for quite some time. It was well worn. At that time 8 bushings were installed, 4 in the front and 4 on the backplate. Most of the wear was on the strike side and lower in the trains.

C Jerome movement right out of the case in 2018

It ran very well for 3 years and now (May 2021) it has stopped.

Preliminary checks

I performed the usual checks prior to taking the movement out of its case. I inspected the time-side cable for kinks and that it was not binding. A binding cable will definitely stop a clock. It was fine.

I checked the crutch loop clearance and found nothing seriously amiss. It should have run. It did not.

While it was running I noticed that it was drifting in an out of beat and it ran no longer than a minute or so before stopping. This indicates a number of issues; a bent escape wheel teeth, damage/wear to its lantern pinion, a bent escape wheel arbour or an enlarged pivot hole. I suspect the last one is the culprit.

The strike side is fine and it is functioning as it should, but without the time side running correctly the clock is just an ornament.

Next, taking it out of the case

I checked it over and determined that the movement required two new bushings, one for the escape wheel bridge and the other for the hour wheel in the motion works. I did not have a multi-level bridge tool when I serviced this clock the first time three years ago so, it came in very handy. The hour wheel pivot hole looked fine then but now there is enough wear that it justifies being done. I checked the escape wheel arbour and it was straight.

Ingraham Grecian — Multi level bridge tool

With those two wear issues addressed I put the movement back together for testing and assumed that the clock would run. Unfortunately the clock stopped after less than a minute. Something else was amiss.

The trouble with trundles

I adjusted the beat but still nothing. I noted where the second wheel, time side, was stopping as it would stop about every eighth of a turn. Since the second wheel gear teeth are in excellent condition, it could only be one thing, worn trundles in the escape wheel lantern pinion that prevent the second wheel from meshing correctly with escape wheel.

As you can see in the above photo the trundles are in terrible condition and there is little doubt that this is what stopped the clock. Wear such as this cannot be ignored. Without a repair the clock will not run.

Trundles are often replaced by drilling out the shroud end where the trundles are inserted, taking the worn trundles out, replacing them with new ones made from pivot wire and staking the holes to ensure they stay in place. On this escape wheel the cap must be removed to access the trundles. This is common on ogee movements such as this and it means a different approach for the repair.

I secured my crow’s foot to my bench vice, inserted the top cap of the lantern pinion into the V part of the foot and gently tapped on the pivot end to release the cap. It released easily. The trundles should have literally fallen out but two of the 6 were firmly in place and had to be cut and drilled out. Not fun.

I have a good assortment of pivot wire, selected a .95mm wire for the trundles and cut each one to length with a Dremel cutting disk.

I used a hollow staking tool to push the cap back in place and the trundles into their respective holes but the cap was loose. This is when Loctite is your best friend. Using a toothpick I dabbed a small amount onto each end of the trundles, secured the trundles in place and waited 24 hours for the Loctite to cure.

The next day for testing purposes I left out the strike side levers and wheels.

On the test stand the movement ran a couple of 30-hour cycles and the issue has now been addressed. The remaining gears and levers were assembled into the movement and the movement was placed into the case for a final test of both the time and strike side.

It should run reliably for years to come.

From time to time a repairer will have to deal with worn trundles.

If a clock stops and there is a gear meshing issue, then it is time to replace the trundles but if they are a little worn and the clock runs well, I tend to leave them as-is knowing that at some future date if the clock stops it is one of many issues I will address.

I have mentioned this before but if you are just beginning your journey into clock repair, the 30-hour ogee, because of the large gears, the overall simplicity and the absence of mainsprings make this a great place to start.

August 20, 2021

Finial replacement on a Junghans wall clock

In January 2017 I took a chance, plunked down $75 and bought a project clock which consisted of a box of clock parts.

Junghans clock in pieces (notice bottom finial)

I took it home, stared at the box for a while trying to figure out what to do and how far I would get with this project. I itemized the parts, arranging them on the case as best I could and put together a plan. At least I had something to go on when someone sent me the actual catalog image of the clock.

The clock is called the Crispi by Junghans, Ca. 1899. Junghans is a reputable German clock-maker that made all styles of clocks for over 100 years in Germany and continues in the watch business to this day.

There are subtle differences between my clock and the clock in the catalog but to the untrained eye it looks much the same.

What I did not change at the time was the bottom centre finial. Most who are familiar with clock case design would agree that the bottom centre finial is actually one of the top crown finials and was re-positioned in a previous repair. I left it as-is as I went about restoring the rest of the clock.

After completing a number of other clock projects during the Pandemic as well as addressing an errant strike issue with this clock, I decided it was time to replace the finial with something more in keeping with the original design.

Here is the clock (next photo) when I finished with the case. That bottom centre finial always bothered me but, as I said, I let it be.

This is a clock that I took to a professional clockmaker to have repaired in the days when I did not have the skills to service a clock.

It worked well for about two years or more and then the strike side became very erratic. It would either strike incorrectly on the half hour or strike until the mainspring wound down. I cannot blame the repairer as these movements can be finicky to work on but my knowledge of clock repair has improved such that I can better diagnose and repair most clock issues today.

The problem was twofold. One, the paddle was not quite in the correct position in the deep slot of the count wheel at the end of the strike and the strike paddle ended the strike sequence by hanging off one of the star points of the strike wheel.

It took several attempts through trial and error but eventually I was victorious and the movement now strikes correctly.

Crispi clock back from the horologist — Top finial placed on the bottom by a past repairer

Now, let’s get back to the case. As you can see the clock had been returned to its former glory and is quite faithful to the original except for that bottom finial.

I chose a flat back unfinished 2 1/2″ by 2 3/4″ hardwood finial that is available from most clock parts suppliers. I matched the stain to the case and applied three coats of shellac. Using a drill press I made a hole to accommodate a piece of dowel in the base and finial to secure it to the lower base section. I applied yellow carpenters glue to secure it and here is the result. The cost to rectify it was minimal.

The shape, size and style is now appropriately suited to the case.

The seller had the clock in his family for many years, perhaps as long as the clock is old. Anyway, he would not budge from the $75 but he asked me to send a photo of the clock when it was completed. I did, and received no acknowledgement. I don’t think he ever thought it would look quite like this.

August 15, 2021

Fleet Time mantel clock – Mainspring damage

The Fleet Time Co. was a short-lived Canadian clock company that operated between the years 1936 and 1940 producing a range of two and three-train mantel clocks with movements sourced from Germany. All clocks had pendulums and were spring-driven. According to the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River, Ontario, the company was listed as an importer of clocks and watches. The locations were 440 McGill and then 303 St. Paul West, Montreal (Canada).

The Second World War took a heavy toll on this company as the source of movements dried up and so the future prospects of this small company. Why they did not source movements from France and Germany like the Forestville Clock Co. of Toronto and others during the war years and beyond is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the margins were slim or alternate suppliers could not be found. That and the increasingly popular electric clock doomed the company.

Wood cases were made in Canada for some models while other cabinets were imported from Germany.

Of the two Fleet clocks in my collection one is this two-train clock with an unknown German movement and the other a Westminster chime mantel clock with a German Gufa movement. For more on the Gufa clock go here.

This clock is in much the same condition as my first Fleet clock, dents, gouges and scratches everywhere. Unfortunately, the tinted lacquer finishes on these old clocks do not survive well over time. It is one reason they attract little attention and sell for almost nothing despite having movements that are relatively strong runners.

Fleet Time clock — Fleet Time time and strike mantel clock, broken glass

It is a plain, generic mantel clock with a walnut finish, flat front, a slightly domed top, and step-side features on outboard feet. The dial is heavily tarnished and the glass bezel that should be soldered to the chapter ring has detached. These bezels often go missing. At least it came with the clock.

The clock strikes on 3-rods producing a bim-bam sound, just loud enough so as not to be too intrusive.

The location of the star striking wheel on the movement is somewhat unusual. Commonly found between the plates, the star wheel is on the outside of the rear plate.

Fleet time barrel — Damaged Fleet Time barrel

As I have said in a previous article the barrel and second wheel on the time side were damaged during servicing. I don’t know who the maker is and I would appreciate any information to aid me in my search for a donor movement. The case has been reconditioned, with the addition of a dial and bezel from an old Blackforest Clock Co. clock.

Fleet Time case ready for repaired or replaced movement

It is a nice piece of Canadian horological history that I would like to see running.

August 11, 2021

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Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks