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 and 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.
GGs Forestville Mantel clock
GG writes: “Hello there,,,I was wondering if you know much about my mantle clock and maybe it’s value?
I have attached some photos!”
My reply: “Thanks for coming to my blog. That is one of the nicest mantel clock cases I have seen on a Forestville and it appears to be in good shape.
Forestville is a Canadian Company based out of Toronto. They went out of business in 1979. They did not make their own movements instead sourcing them from England, France, the US and Germany though they made their own clock cases.
GGs clock showing German made movement and pendulum bob
You may or may not know that Forestville was called the Blackforest Clock company prior to WWII. So, you have a post war clock made in the late 1940s or early 50s. Later on In the 1950s Forestville went from using pendulums in their clocks to balance wheels (no pendulum). Forestville also sourced German movements exclusively after the war. Your movement (the brass works) was likely made by Mauthe or Hermle, both well known and well respected German companies.
You have what is known as a time and strike Bim-Bam clock. It strikes the respective hour and once on the half hour but makes a distinctive “Bim-Bam” sound as a result of one hammer striking one rod while the other two strikes two rods simultaneously.
Unfortunately there are thousands of similar clocks and Forestville clocks are not particularly distinctive but a clock such as this in good running condition might fetch about $100.”
GG writes back to explain that the movement is an Enfield from England which stands to reason if it was made immediately after the Second War.
The clock is a 1937 Blackforest Royal Tour commemorative edition shelf clock with an 8-day time-only “plate” clock movement. Plate clock movements are so-called because they were typically used on kitchen clocks with Dutch Delft plates such as this one in the next photo.
Delft Plate Clock from Forestville
The movement is likely German and could have been made by a number of companies. There are no stamps or markings on the movement to give any indication of the maker. Canadian companies such as the Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto (the Forestville Clock Company after the war) imported German movements before the Second World War and installed them in Canadian made cases.
Grimy movement prior to cleaning
This clock had been happily running for about a year and then last week it suddenly stopped after a winding. I nudged the pendulum in an effort to make it go, checked to see if it was in beat and level but no luck. I nudged the pendulum a few more times, left it for a day or so, tried it again and still no luck. I was at the point of disassembling the movement to investigate the problem. Two days later I wound it tight and gave the pendulum a push and it sprang to life. I think I know what happened.
I thought I did a good job of servicing the movement including the mainspring over a year ago but apparently not well enough. You may have heard the expression, “you overwound the clock so that’s why it stopped”. There is a grain of truth in the expression because if you wind the spring till it winds no further the mainspring is at it tightest. If there are dirt, grime and rust on the mainspring the mainspring will actually cease in place, hence the clock stops. I believe this is what occurred in this case. Although it is running now it will need to be properly cleaned. In the meantime, I will let it run and see if it completes its full 8-day cycle.
Purchased earlier this year (2017) I thought it would make the perfect cottage clock. A relative attended an estate auction in Ottawa while I simultaneously bid online in Nova Scotia for the clock. She brought it to her home and it was months later before I actually got to see it. But for one low resolution auction photo, it was bought unseen and as-is.
Delft style clock, auction photo
It is a Delft style, triangle shaped front-wind 8-day time-only porcelain clock with a lever escapement similar to those found in marine/alarm clock movements. It is marked Forestville. While Forestville is a Canadian company the clock is not Canadian made. The Forestville Clock Company is often confused with clocks made in Forestville, Connecticut. According to the following historical information they are not the same.
The Forestville Clock Company of Toronto began its life as the Blackforest Clock Co. of Toronto headed by its founders, Leopold and Sara Stossel in 1928. Both movements and complete clocks were imported from Germany and sold through department and jewelry stores across Canada. Their son, Ed Stossel started working part-time with his parents company in the 1930s and later became a full time employee in the 1940s.
Some assembly work was carried out in their Wellington Street factory but most clocks were imported fully assembled. At first, imported mantel and grandfather clock movements were installed in cases made in Kitchener, Ontario but later complete mantel clocks were imported from Germany. This arrangement was interrupted by the Second World War which also led to a change of the company name to Forestville Clock Company in 1941. During the war years the company imported their movements from England, the United States and even France. Starting in the early 1950s German companies resumed production with Mauthe being a major supplier.
Clocks with a Dutch motif reflected a popular trend in the 1950s and 60s perhaps in recognition of Canada’s close relationship with the Dutch people since the war years
The Forestville Clock company was quite successful during the middle decades of the 20th century and many Canadian homes proudly displayed time-only, time and strike and chiming clocks retailed by Forestville. When Ed Stossel retired in 1979 the company survived just a few years without his guidance and leadership.
Clocks with a Dutch motif reflected a popular trend in the 1950s and 1960s perhaps in recognition of Canada’s close relationship with the Dutch people since the war years. Canadian troops liberated Holland at the end of the Second World War, the Dutch holding a particular fondness with Canadians since that time.
It is an attractive but a simple design. There is one scene on each “point” of the “squared off” triangle; a woman in traditional dress carrying water and accompanied by a child on the right, three single-mast sail boats (one large and two small ones) on the left and a Dutch windmill beside a small house on top. The violin bow styled hour and minute hand design is shared with other Forestville clocks.
Mother and child
Windmill and house
Sailboats
The clock ran slowly for the first day or so. On the back of the movement is a speed regulator that one would typically find on an alarm clock, an easy method of making small adjustments.
Speed adjustment
There are no chips, cracks or blemishes on the face. It appears to be in excellent condition and runs well.
German box clocks are quite common. Prices for these clocks are all over the map, some ask hundreds of dollars but they can be had for very little money like this Mauthe box clock I picked up in a flea market outside Peterborough Ontario. The hands were faded and the case was in rough shape but I knew it was a good deal.
Mauthe box clock, as found
Thousands of German “box clocks” were made in the first third of the 20th century and even to the middle of the century. The box clock replaced the classic “Vienna Regulator” after the First World War and reflected a minimalist approach to clock design. Most, if not all, were made in Germany. Despite the absence of markings, I have no doubt that this clock was made in Germany by Mauthe.
This vintage clock is 29 inches long by 13 inches wide and 7 inches deep. It has a 7-inch silvered Arabic dial with a spade hour hand and speared minute hand. The lower section of the case door has 5 beveled glass panels (middle one is arched) with brass connecting strips. There are two fluted columns that frame either side of the door and circular glazed viewing panels on each side. The movement is mounted and secured by thumbscrews on a seat board. The clock case is in fair to good condition with no gouges, deep scratches or missing pieces. Refinishing at some point in its life combined with environment factors has resulted in a darker walnut shade. The case is made of cheaper pine rather than the more expensive oak found in higher end box clocks.
The door has its original glass, catches, hinges and swings very easily. There are no case stabilizers (stand-offs) which I found curious given the height and weight of the clock. It has a rod gong twist locking feature about one third up from the longest rod to secure the rods during transport. Rods are brittle and can easily snap off if unsecured when moving the clock.
Rod twist lock to secure the rods during transport
I would comfortably date the clock to the 1930s
The dial face has been “messed with” in some fashion. I suspect someone tried to clean the face with an abrasive cleaner as there are scratches on the numerals. The numbers were touched up with flat black acrylic metal paint. Evidence that it was distributed by a Canadian clock company is a maple leaf applique on the crown.
Maple leaf applique and Divina gong
The five-point maple leaf is a common symbol for Canada. There are two possibilities. It might have been sold by the Forestville Clock Company of Toronto or Eaton’s department store under the Solar (Soler?) brand name. I would date the clock to the 1930s.
The price was right so I bought it
The rack and snail, time and strike, spring powered movement with recoil escapement has no markings but for the numbers 42 (pendulum length in cm) and 105 (beats per minute), the letters C,A, with numbers, 79/9 engraved in the lower right of the front plate, presumably a clock-makers mark for servicing in September of 1979 and a serial number, 25226. The back plate is solid brass while the front plate is open. It also has a repeater function on the strike side.
Mauthe movement front plate
This is an antique mall find and the seller left a note saying that the clock required servicing (code for not running). While on the wall in the store the clock ran for a few seconds and then stopped. So, yes, it needs servicing. The price was right so I bought it.
Mauthe movement back plate
I took the movement out of its case, inspected it and found it very clean. I looked for any obvious signs of wear or damage such as bent arbors or broken teeth and found nothing. The pivots holes were dry though absent of the tale-tell signs of thick black or green oil indicating wear. The mainsprings were wound tight as I would have expected. I oiled the movement, ran it outside the case for a few hours, returned it to its case, re-positioned the 3 strike hammers for the rod gongs and it ran strong, striking as it should on the hour and half hour.
The 3-rod “Divina gong” was, according to the standard German reference, Hans-Heinrich Schmid’s (2005) Lexikon der Deutschen Uhrenindustrie 1850-1980, a Mauthe trade-name registered in 1912. I compared the movement to similar Mauthe movements online and but for minor details it is the same. The case design is plain and free of decoration and is quite unremarkable save for the aforementioned beveled glass panels.
Divina rod gong, patented by Mauthe in 1912
I refreshed the case by first giving it a good cleaning with Murphy’s Soap. The cleaning revealed some light and dark patches so I opted to give the case a light coat of walnut stain followed by Poly Wipe Satin clear coat.
Box clock after case cleaning and refresh
There is not much I could do with the unsightly black smudges on the dial without lifting the silvering so I left that untouched but it still retains that vintage look.
Repainted numerals and hands
There were a number of unsightly black marks on the pendulum bob that I cleaned up using Brasso. Brasso was also used to clean up the brass bezel. The beveled glass and the brass strips were cleaned as well.
The Divina rod gong bim-bam strike has an especially pleasing resonance that echos through the house.
For a 50CDN investment the result after a refresh, is remarkable. It shows very well and it is a welcome addition to my growing clock collection.
I prefer time-only clocks above anything else. They are simple to work on and because they are less complex they tend to be more accurate, relatively speaking. Most are easy to service but this little guy has me stumped.
Thousands of these relatively small German movements were made and some found their way into small shelf clocks like the ones I will be talking about in this article.
Time-only movement, German
Let’s not confuse these inexpensive clocks with better known and highly regarded Black Forest clocks of Germany
I acquired a couple of Blackforest shelf clocks about a year ago. Let’s not confuse these inexpensive clocks with better known and highly regarded Black Forest clocks of Germany. The clocks I will be discussing here were made by the Blackforest Clock Co. of Canada in the 1930s. Later on, during the war years (1941) the company felt compelled to change it’s name to the Forestville Clock Company of Canada. They sourced their movements from England during the war years and Germany prior to (and after) World War II. They are German time-only “plate-clock” movements. They are called plate clock movements because they were made to be placed behind decorative plates, commonly called delft porcelain wall clocks designed primarily for the kitchen. Many delft clocks had time-only movements just like the ones in these shelf clocks.
King George VI Commemorative visit 1937
Blackforest Shelf (mantel) clock circa 1935
They are easy to find. Antique stores, junk shops, and thrift stores all have them. They are very cheap, usually quite stressed having spent most of their lives in basements, attics and garages and probably the last clock to leave the store shelf. They are always passed over for the “better” clocks. I buy them because they are cheap and relatively easy to bring back to life. The pictures you see here are clock cases that have been significantly refreshed. Here’s a before shot.
This is one very homely clock
Those who are familiar with time-only movements know they are relatively simple to work on
Since the mainspring in one clock snapped in two places I have combined the best parts of each one in an attempt to have a working movement for the most attractive looking clock which for me is the 1937 commemorative edition King George VI clock. I might just throw in a quartz movement for the other clock unless I find another plate clock movement. For those who are familiar with time-only movements they are relatively simple to work on. You might call them fun and a good challenge for those new to clock repair. The gears are small and the pivots are tiny but they are easy to dissemble and put back together. No helper springs and levers to worry about. Here are some shots of the movement.
Movement inside the case
Parts of two movements are combined to make a working one, back plate is off
All shined up and on the test stand
Showing unique one piece pallet, verge and pendulum assembly
All in one pallets, verge and pendulum rod and bob.
I have been testing the movement with mixed results. I installed one bushing on T3 after which the movement ran better. It is in beat and will run but not for as long as I would like. Why can’t this little guy run a full eight days? The best it can do is 4 days. Perhaps a mainspring issue; too weak to give me a full eight day cycle? A pity because I truly wanted to have this thing running strong and reliably. Being a glutton for punishment I have another plate clock coming in the mail. I am not absolutely sure if it has the same movement but I am willing to bet that it does since it is another Forestville, this time a true delft clock.
These often neglected clocks are great fun to work on. Total outlay for all three clocks – $55. Not bad!
Last summer (2015) I bought a Blackforest time-only shelf clock for $10 at a small antique store in Kazabazua, Quebec which you see pictured below. To be fair it did not look like this when I bought it. It was quite beaten up and a case refresh was sorely needed which included stripping and re-staining.
Blackforest shelf clock #1
It’s a relatively simple 8-day time-only movement commonly known as a “plate clock” movement. To avoid any confusion let me say this shelf clock is Canadian made by the Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto (known as the Forestville Clock Company after the second war). The movement is likely German; the clock was made in the mid 1930’s when Canadian companies imported German movements for a variety of mantel and long case clocks.
Despite my best efforts I could not get Blackforest shelf clock #1 to run reliably. It would typically run 5-10 minutes and stop. The movement had a couple of bad teeth on the escape wheel; not an easy fix and I assume the source of the stoppage. I decided that I would wait until I found a donor movement to scavenge any parts I needed so I put #1 aside.
I scoured the net looking for an identical movement. I found one from a clock parts company in Ontario but sadly the company, despite having an online presence, was no longer in business. My numerous emails were not answered. I was getting a little discouraged until February 2016 when my wife and I were making our regular pilgrimage to a popular antique store in Great Village, Nova Scotia. I came upon Blackforest shelf clock #2, a clock not much different from the one I found in 2015 but more importantly it had an identical movement. I particularly like this one because it commemorates King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Visit in 1939 (the coronation was in May 1937) making this vintage clock almost 78 years old.
Royal Visit to Canada1937
Blackforest shelf clock #2 circa 1938-39
No problem I thought. Between the two of them I should get one clock running reliably. I paid $20.00 for the newer one with a total of $30.00 for two clocks; a minimal outlay for the total project.
Blackforest shelf clock #2 ran for a while but I could not get it to run much past two days without it stopping. The sudden stop seemed like a power issue or perhaps it was just plain gummed up and dirty. A thorough cleaning was one solution to the stoppage. This was also a good opportunity to decide which clock was worth salvaging. In the end the newer one won out. However, two parts had to come from the older movement, the pendulum bob (the newer one had a cracked bob) and the spring / click / ratchet assembly which I will now discuss further.
Blackforest shelf clock #2 had a partially stripped ratchet (see photo with white arrow) which I thought was rather unusual; not very surprising since brass is a very soft metal and does not stand up to much abuse, a product of rough treatment in the past I suspect. While winding it I could feel the click slipping on the ratchet and feared that it would let go if I was not careful enough. This critical issue could have led to a unpleasant outcome at some point in the future so I determined that it was only prudent to replace the spring / click / ratchet assembly.
White arrow is pointing to a stripped ratchet
Pendulum assembly with rotating bob adjustment
Open spring barrel, ratchet and click assembly
Gears assembled on the front plate
The two replacement parts fit perfectly. Now for a thorough cleaning. All the parts were put into an ultrasonic cleaner, dried, inspected and polished. The pivots were inspected and polished. The pivot holes which were in very good condition were pegged out and once re-assembled the movement was oiled and briefly tested. As any clock enthusiast who has had experience with time-only movements, they are certainly the easiest to work on.
The final step is the long-term testing phase to see how it runs on a full wind.
Postscript: five days later there is no stoppage. It will take a little longer to regulate the clock but so far so good.
Blackforest shelf clock #2 now has a replacement spring, click and ratchet as well as a new pendulum bob. Does it make it original? Considering that it has parts from a clock that was likely made at the same time it is original enough as far as I am concerned.
My wife and I were at a little antique shop just outside Truro, Nova Scotia on a typical Sunday drive. I found a lovely Black Forest time-only shelf clock that was reasonably priced and bought it because it had a simple plate movement I was looking for. My wife on the other hand wandered through the same antique store and noticed a Kundo anniversary clock. Kundo was a well known German clock make and is otherwise known as Kieninger & Obergfell. Although we were not really in the market for an anniversary clock the price was right.
I noted at the time that it was not functioning but all it took when I got it home was a winding to get it running again and two weeks to regulate the time. Compared to those I have seen on EBay this one is in excellent condition and cleaned up well. The photos were taken prior to cleaning.
Kundo anniversary clock
A 400 day anniversary clock is otherwise known as a torsion pendulum clock. The torsion clock is a mechanical clock which keeps time with a mechanism called a torsion pendulum. This is a weighted disk or wheel, often a decorative wheel with 3 or 4 chrome balls on ornate spokes, suspended by a thin wire or ribbon called a torsion spring (also known as suspension spring).
Without glass dome
The torsion pendulum rotates about the vertical axis of the wire, twisting it, instead of swinging like an ordinary pendulum. The force of the twisting torsion spring reverses the direction of rotation, so the torsion pendulum oscillates slowly, clockwise and counterclockwise. The rotation is generally 270 to 360 degrees and takes about 7-9 seconds. Mine has a little bit of over-swing which is not problematic.
The clock’s gears apply a pulse of torque (provided by a winding spring) to the top of the torsion spring with each rotation to keep the wheel going. Because they are running so slowly and require little energy, they are capable of running for long periods but are not as accurate as weight driven or other spring driven clocks due to the fact that they are subject to temperature and humidity changes and the long run periods between windings augment any inaccuracy. Mine runs within 2-3 minutes a month and most would consider that to be acceptable.
Movement and pendulum with speed adjustment dial on top of 4 spokes
An adjustment allows the balls to move in and out of its axis thereby controlling the rate of the clock. The closer the balls are to the centre of the axis the faster they will spin and further from the axis results in a slower rotation. Torsion clocks were popular gifts because they would run a year between windings thus marking an important occasion or anniversary.
Torsion clocks are usually delicate, ornamental, spring wound shelf clocks which typically stand between 9 and 12 inches in height. The polished clock mechanism is usually exposed under a plastic or glass case or dome (need not be, however), to allow one to watch the torsion pendulum turn.
Movement showing spring barrel
This particular torsion clock was made in the 1970s. Shortly thereafter production of torsion clocks began to decline. There was a minor resurgence of electronically switched electro-mechanical (battery) torsion clocks but otherwise the age of the torsion clock was coming to an end.
Torsion clocks have a long history which I will explore in a future article.
What is a shelf clock? If you have a number of clocks as I do it can be quite confusing to describe each specific type to the average person but it is really quite simple. Let me explain how you can identify the clock you might be looking at. The term shelf clock is a broad category but I believe it can be classified in the following ways.
Some 180 years ago the first shelf clocks were OG (Ogee) clocks. These were the first mass-produced American clocks, were inexpensive, and were made up to about the late 1870s. They represented the early years of American clock-making and the transition from more expensively produced wood movements to cheaper brass movement clocks. OG clocks are so named because of the double-curved molding on the front of the clock. The curved molding was designed to hide the weights. Many of these clocks were weight driven with 30-hour or 8-day movements and had mirrored or painted tablets. OG clocks were usually 25 inches in height and 15 inches wide and had hardwood veneers covering a softwood frame. They were surprisingly accurate and reliable.
Spring-driven and weight driven 30 hour OG (Ogee) clocks, made by the Canada Clock Company, circa 1872-76 (Canadian Clock Museum)
Later, more stylish clocks could be found. These are called Column clocks because they would either have a half-column or full column on the left and right or even stacked half or full columns such as the one pictured below. Moldings on the top and bottom would be brought together by columns on each side of the clock with mirrored or painted tablets. Column clocks were almost exclusively weight driven with 30-hour or 8-day movements.
Stacked Column clock, circa 1870 (Canadian Clock Museum)
At around 1840 Steeple clocks were introduced. They had a peaked centre section bordered by columns topped with finials and a peaked sash with a decorated (often hand-painted) lower tablet. They were spring driven with 8-day movements. Steeple clocks are very distinctive, stood about 15 inches high with veneered hardwood over softwood, often with reverse-painted scenes and are made by a number of well-known companies.
Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf “fan top” Kitchen clock, circa 1905
Kitchen clocks (Gingerbread) were simple or ornate with carved or steam-pressed patterns made by quick-saws and heavy steel presses, stood 22-24 inches in height and about 15 inches wide, and had a decorated sash which could be a very simple design as you see here or a much fancier reverse-painted glass scene. These inexpensive, visually pleasing timepieces sat in the kitchens of lower and middle-class homes and were produced by the thousands. They were so named because of their likeness to the design of gingerbread houses at the time (early 1900s). They are usually made of oak, walnut or even walnut trimmings on oak with a metal clock face and many had a simple alarm mechanism. The Gingerbread clock you see here is the Maple Leaf “fan top” by Arthur Pequegnat. The Maple Leaf came in 4 unique styles all characterized by the maple leaf decal on the glass door.
Some kitchen clocks had beautifully carved features and figurines such as this stunning clock made by the Hamilton Clock Company (Canada), though a clock such as this might be found elsewhere in the home and considered a parlor clock.
City of Hamilton, made by the Hamilton Clock Company, circa 1880 (Canadian Clock Museum)
When spring-driven clocks were introduced the Parlor clocks like this Hamilton Clock Company model became popular. They tended to be narrower than column clocks because they had spring-driven movements. These clocks mirrored the furniture styles of the time. This one reflected the Victorian era with its bold figurines, carved finials, elaborate patterns etched into its wooden frame, and the hand-painted floral design of the sash.
Seth Thomas round top cottage clock, circa 1930
Cottage clocks are less than 15 inches high and typically 8 inches wide are small, simple in design, and take up very little space. Many have basic alarm mechanisms but have one feature that distinguishes them from other pendulum clocks. They have a clip or a clasp that secures the pendulum rod for travel. The “round top” you see here was sold by Henry Birks and Sons an upscale Canadian jeweler. Others had “beehive” tops, flat tops, or octagon tops.
Pendulum rod clip for Seth Thomas round top
Smaller clocks are often referred to as desk clocks. They are usually mainspring driven with a flat dial. This Kundo 400-day anniversary German clock is an example of a desk clock but it might also be described more specifically as a torsion clock. This one stands less than ten inches tall and has a glass dome, a weighted wheel with 4 balls suspended by a ribbon called a torsion spring, and an exposed movement. It was typically given as a wedding gift.
Kundo 400 day anniversary clock, circa 1970
Finally, the mantel clock.
Mantel clocks can be ornate, larger, and the centerpiece in a room. This particular clock, a Mauthe pendulum mantel clock offers a precision-built sophisticated German Westminster chime movement in a relatively non-descript but attractive and well-built cabinet that is simple yet elegant.
Mauthe time. strike and chime, circa 1970
ASIDE: Is it mantel or mantle? I have always considered a mantle as something you wear, a garment or a part of the earth’s crust. A mantel on the other hand is a shelf above, say, a fireplace. I see this word interchanged so often when clocks are advertised or described that either word is universally accepted. I prefer the word “mantel”.
Ingraham Huron shelf clock, circa 1878
Mantel clocks were inexpensive to make, occupied very little space, and were part decoration and part practical timepieces. Mantel clocks were made with brass, wood, porcelain, slate, Bakelite, and metal though for the most part they were designed to be lightweight (slate clocks and cast iron clocks would be the exception), simple in basic design, and very practical. Mantel clocks have lasted so long, over two centuries, because they are dependable, versatile, and work so well in many domestic situations.
The categories of shelf clocks also include carriage clocks and lantern clocks. One of the first clocks whose movement and external structure was made predominantly from brass instead of iron or wood was the lantern clock. Although the shape of the clock looks somewhat like a lantern, the derivation of the name probably stems from the French word “laiton”, meaning brass. The earliest lantern clocks had striking mechanisms; later in the 17th-century alarms were sometimes added. Some lantern clocks had pendulums and could be hung on the wall.
Carriage clocks were spring-driven clocks developed in 19th century France and are made of plain or gilt brass. They are often no more than 8 inches tall, designed to be portable, and are characterized by a rectangular shape, glass or porcelain panels, and a carrying handle on the top. If you have a Breguet carriage clock as part of your collection you are very lucky indeed!
This is by no means an exhaustive description of the types of shelf clocks. There are others such as swinging clocks, tambour clocks, pillar and scroll, and so on. Whether you are shopping for a clock as a gift or adding one to your collection or even describing what you have seen to a friend, it is important to understand the distinctions between one type and another.
Black Forest Clock Company of Toronto, clock in as found condition
Shelf clocks such as the one pictured have always been hard to find though I did stumble upon this one very recently (April 2016) at an antique store in Great Village, Nova Scotia. Why, because of their cheap construction and inexpensive movements, not many of these clocks have survived over the years.
This one might have had a special meaning to someone at one time because it is a memento of the King George VI coronation of 1937 which nicely dates the clock. He became King George VI of England in December 1936 following the death of his father George V and the abdication of his brother. He had been a heavy smoker and in 1951 had his left lung removed then died suddenly in the winter of 1952. Elizabeth became queen later that year.
Black Forest shelf clock after case restoration
Another view of refinished case
This Blackforest shelf clock is only slightly larger than the first Blackforest clock I picked up last summer (2015) and like the other, is time-only.
Company plate on rear of clock
The time-only movement is very simple in design. The pendulum rod, bob and pallets are one piece.
One piece pendulum assembly
To adjust the beat rate you either rotate the bob left for slower rate or right to make the clock run faster or slower. Outside the back plate sits the mainspring which is housed in an open barrel and there are 5 gear wheels plus the escape wheel between two solid plates. This is an identical movement as found in my other Blackforest shelf clock but unlike this clock it was in very poor condition. The movement is German and could have been made by a number of companies at the time; Keinzle, Mauthe, Hermle or Junghans. There are no stamps or markings on this so-called “plate” movement to give any indication of the maker. Typically many Canadian companies such as the Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto (the Forestville Clock Company after the war) imported German movements before the Second World War and installed them in Canadian made cases.
Plate clock movement
Commemorative Edition – 1937 Coronation of King George VI
To refinish the case I cleaned it thoroughly using Murphy’s Soap, applied three coats of dark walnut stain taking care to wipe the stain with a cotton cloth 5-10 minutes after each application. My intent was to fill in the scratches and abrasions rather than radically alter the colour. I then rubbed the cabinet with 0000 steel wool between coats and applied two top coats of clear polyurethane satin finish. I cleaned the numerals but decided against repainting rather preserving the original patina, though I applied Brasso to bring back the finish on the key wind bushing. In the end the case is a little darker but likely closer to its original finish.
Original winding key
I haven’t quite figured this out yet but I think the winding key has a “bottle opener” design to allow the pendulum to be locked during travel. Ideas?
This clock would make a great addition to a any bedroom. It is small enough for a dresser or even a side table, quiet enough (for a mechanical clock) and is still attractive in design after all these years. Heck, you can even wind the clock in the 6 o’clock position.
If you’re expecting a post about clocks from the Black Forest region of Germany, I apologize for the mix-up. This article is actually focused on the Forestville Clock Company of Canada.
Forestville clocks were assembled in Canada with foreign movements in local and foreign-made cases through the late 1920s to the mid-1970s.
This particular Forestville mantel clock is not particularly special but it comes with a story.
In 2013, during a visit to the Thousand Islands, my wife and I stopped by an antique store in Gananoque, Ontario. While browsing, I was drawn to a clock that caught my attention. I was somewhat familiar with the Forestville name, as the Forestville Clock Company of Toronto had assembled thousands of these clocks. The price tag on the back was $175, which seemed a bit high to me. We stayed overnight in the area and decided to return to the store the next day. When we did, a different clerk was on duty. Although I knew the price listed, I asked him what the clock was priced at, just out of curiosity. Without checking, he replied, “It’s $75,” and I bought it. Afterward, he noticed the price tag on the back and said, “You got a good deal.” I think he learned something that day.
History of the Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto
The Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto, Ontario was founded by Leopold and Sara Stossel in 1928. Both clock movements and complete clocks were imported from Germany and sold through department and jewelry stores across Canada. Their son Ed Stossel started working part-time with his parents’ company in the 1930s and later became a full-time employee in the late 1940s.
Some assembly work was carried out in their Wellington Street East factory. Initially, imported mantel clocks and grandfather clock movements were installed in cases made in Kitchener, but later the complete mantel clocks were imported from Germany. This arrangement was interrupted by the Second World War, which also led to a name change to the Forestville Clock Company in 1941. During the war years, this company imported its clock movements from England, the United States, and even France. However, starting in the mid-1950s German factories again became the source of most Forestville clocks, with Mauthe being a major supplier. (source: The Canadian Clock museum)
The Forestville Clock Company was very successful during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Ed Stossel retired in 1979 and unfortunately, the company survived just a few more years under new leadership.
closeup of the dial
Both the movement and case were imported from Germany probably in the late 1960s or the early 1970s and the style reflects that period. There is a serial number on the backplate but it is not much help in dating the exact year the clock was made.
Movement showing evidence of over-oiling
As clock manufacturers were searching for efficiencies, lever escapements replaced floating balances and pendulums in the 1960s and 1970s. I much prefer a pendulum clock but clocks such as this have the advantage of operating on surfaces that are not level.
Lever escapement with speed regulator
This is a closeup of the strike lever mechanism.
Lever mechanism for strikeLifting mechanism for strike function
The three strike rods give the clock a “bim-bam” sound on the half-hour. Not unique but disctinctive.
This mantel clock is a handsome piece with great lines and makes a wonderful addition to my growing collection of antique and vintage clocks. However, it is quite dirty and will need a thorough cleaning. I’ll save that task for another post.
I have dis-assembled this clock twice. After the first dis-assembly I cleaned and oiled it, found everything to be in order but once I assembled it, bench-tested it to find everything seemingly correct and set the beat it would not run more that 5 to 10 minutes at a time. When it stopped it seemed to catch on the escape wheel.
Shown with back plate off
It is now stripped down again. No need to have as through a cleaning as the first go-around but now is the time to investigate other factors. It is a pretty simple clock as the photo shows.
Escape wheel showing worn teeth
What I see right away is the escape wheel teeth and how some are hooked or misshapened. My temptation is to file it down but others are suggesting that I use pliers to press the hooks back into shape. I have’t decided what to do just yet.
Others have suggested that I put more weight on the pendulum which I am reluctant to do since this clock was likely designed to run on a light bob.
The pendulum showing the twist adjustment for speed regulation
Now back to further investigation.
Late note: I finally got this clock to work after taking it apart twice. The second time I concentrated on the pivots discovering the at least 2 had enough rust that them that they may have slowed the clock down. I also took a burr off the escape wheel but in the process damaged the escape wheel a little, so that while the clock runs there is a little clunking sound once with each rotation, but it works and keeps time! Live and learn.
If you are following this blog this is the same clock as the previous post. Since the movement was very dirty, I cleaned it up (ultrasonic cleaner) when all apart and reassembled and oiled it. It is a one-train movement, so not many gear wheels and pretty easy to work on. You can see by the size of the clock, a photo of which is in the last post, that the movement is quite small.
I thought with a cleanup and oiling it would be simple to get it going again but no such luck. I know that there is power getting to the escape wheel because when I disconnect the anchor it spins like a buzz saw. When I reconnect the anchor it runs for about 15 seconds and stops. I would like some ideas to get this clock running but in the meantime I have attached some photos. My question, it there anything missing here? This clock doesn’t have a suspension spring or a crutch which I find unusual. And what is that screw thing for? Comments and suggestions would be appreciated.
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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