In our quest to have our antique mechanical clocks run accurately the immediate response is to regulate the clock, but have you thought about calibrating your mechanical clock? It is not as difficult as it sounds. This is not the same as regulating your clock. A properly regulated Anerican-made spring-driven clock will show the correct … More Calibrating a typical American spring-driven mechanical clock
Inflation seems to be everywhere. The continuing decline in purchasing power is reflected in increased prices on almost everything. The other day my wife and I bought a container of spray from a garden store. We thought the price was high at almost $25 but when we got to the cash, the clerk charged us … More Clock prices – a great time to buy despite crazy inflationary times
A couple of weeks back I featured this Welch marine style wall clock. A marine clock can also refer to a ships’ bell clock. Ship’s bell time originated in sailing ship days, when the crew of a vessel was divided into Port and Starboard Watches, each on duty four hours, then off four hours. One … More Welch marine clock – two issues addressed before servicing the movement
Tick-Talk Tuesday is about the letters and comments I have received from readers concerning clock issues, challenges faced, a clock you would profiled or 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 PS writes; I have a … More Tick Talk Tuesday #42 – Ridgeway clock damaged in shipping
Marine movements were in high demand by the 1850s as boat and rail traffic increased. The marine movement is a specific type that does not have a pendulum. Pendulum clocks do not work on a ship or train because they require a stable base. A marine clock has either a balance wheel or lever escapement … More E. N. Welch marine style 30 hour wall clock
Won at auction this spring is a Daniel Pratt Jr. reverse ogee with splat although this one is missing the splat, the decorative piece on top of the case. According to the label it was made in or after 1843. It was also missing the suspension spring and pendulum rod and the wire with regulating … More A woodworks movement by Daniel Pratt Jr. and it actually works
Let’s clear something up right away: I am not a “Dunkin Swish” enthusiast. If you’ve been researching the clock-collecting world for a while, you might have come across this term. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky—it’s something best avoided at all costs. “Dunkin Swish” (apologies to those named Duncan) refers to the practice of placing … More Cleaning an antique/vintage clock movement – Ron’s method
Some years ago I had this brainy idea that I would have a trio of time zone clocks above our main computer in the kitchen so, when one of our children called, all we had to do was glance at the wall to see what local time it was in their region. Back then we … More Three small drop octagons that match – finally!
I never actually went to this auction but participated online. It is not quite the same as the rush of bidding in a live auction hall but exciting in its own way. This particular auction had quite a number of clocks but I would say that most were in rough or what I would call … More Clocks won at auction – at a fair price
The psychology of auctions, now that would be a fascinating study. How bidders behave, the frenzy of bidding wars often called “auction fever“, and the emotions wrapped into the pursuit of that one item everybody seems to want would be very enlightening. Auctions are fantastic places to find great deals. I have found many clocks … More Clock auctions – Ron’s rules for bidding
The Grand Assortment was sold “six in a case” to retailers who then sold them separately. The name “Assortment” seems appropriate and I am not surprised that some collectors refer to them simply as the Grand. So, was the “Assortment” a choice among a number of Grands (Grand 1, Grand 2, etc.)? Selling clocks in … More Servicing a Sessions Grand Assortment time and strike movement
Jerome & Co., a marketing arm of the New Haven Clock Co. made this clock in the mid-1850s. It is a 1-day or 30-hour clock called the “Rose Cottage”. In the 1850s and later, cottage clocks could be purchased with a time and strike movement, time and strike with alarm but this one is a … More The tiniest clock movement I have come across, made by New Haven
I have a number of cottage clocks and they all seem to have one thing in common, they have lived hard lives and this one is no exception. They had the cheapest of movements, the cheapest of cases, and could be purchased for almost nothing but many have not survived and that’s too bad. This … More Jerome & Co Rose cottage clock – the case is a mess but the movement is interesting
Can this gingerbread clock made by E. Ingraham be saved? Possibly, but this clock is destined to become a parts clock and I will explain why in this post. In the spring of this year (2022) 4 clocks were bought at auction. I can save three of them but not this one. Gingerbread clocks often … More An obituary for an E. Ingraham gingerbread clock – the case that is!
This is not the first Grand Assortment clock from the Sessions Clock Co. that I have worked on. In June 2019 I repaired a family member’s clock. It is exactly the same model. The Grand Assortment was sold “six in a case” to retailers who then sold them separately. The name “assortment” seems appropriate and … More Grand Assortment by Sessions – is the assortment really that grand?
I am a bit of a sucker for cottage clocks, have several of them, most are 1 day but I find them interesting just the same. There are not many survivors for a good reason. They were the cheapest clocks one could buy and when they stopped working they were either thrown away or repaired … More Here’s what a $12 auction clock looks like
This attractive little clock was bought at auction earlier this spring. The walnut case is actually in good shape and the tablet looks not only original but is in decent condition as well. I expected a well-cared-for movement but to my surprise, it was in deplorable condition, a prime example of a clock that saw … More Ansonia Canada 30-hour kitchen clock – almost as good as new
This 30-hour shelf clock (hour strike) was manufactured by American clock-maker E. Ingraham and Co. in the 1870s. There are various iterations of the name over the maker’s history but this was the one the company used from 1861 to 1880. The clock was bought at auction in mid-March 2022 along with 3 other clocks. … More Refreshing an Ingraham “octagon top” 30-hour shelf clock – keep or sell?
The case might be a lost cause but I can certainly save the movement of this Ingraham Ocean series gingerbread clock. The clock came to me in fair condition but it was missing a key element, the glass tablet and for that reason, I am not inclined to source a replacement, the clock is just … More The case may be a lost cause but I can save the movement
I have had my eye a clock timing machine for a while but I was recently encouraged to accelerate my plan to buy one. My Timetrax model 50 beat amplifier stopped running for some reason. Okay, I dropped it and it made a strange rattling noise when I picked it up. Now it doesn’t work! … More Do I really need a clock timer?
I acquired a number of clocks at auction this past winter (2022). All were antiques and all were in poor to fair condition but each one had potential. The auction notes simply said the movements were untested which can mean just about anything from a failed, irreparable movement to something that might have been serviced … More Ansonia 30-hour parlour clock with a very worn movement
The movement was pulled out of a 30-hour shelf clock made by American clock-maker E. Ingraham and Co. in the 1870s (the name the company used from 1861 to 1880). The clock was bought at auction in mid-March 2022 along with 3 other clocks. This is one of those situations where the case looks distressed … More E Ingraham and Co. 30 hour movement cleaning
Honestly, an entire book could be devoted to the topic of dating clocks. Some time ago, I published an article titled “How to Date an Antique or Vintage Clock – Part I,” in which I used specific examples from my own collection. I’d like to explore this topic further, and this post will discuss additional … More Dating an Antique or Vintage Clock – Part II
Ten years have flown by very quickly. Just the other day I was cleaning a clock I serviced over 5 1/2 years ago and it struck me that I have been at this for over 10 years and loving it. Three years into the hobby I decided to begin blogging and have been at it … More Lessons learned from 10 years of clock collecting, repair, and restoration
Those of you who work on mechanical clocks regularly must have run into this situation at least once. Everything went perfectly until the very end. Sessions time and strike movements are very common and I have worked on quite a few over the years. They are reasonably well constructed with the exception of a well-documented … More The count wheel is on backward – oops
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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