Tag: Blackforest Clock Company

Tick-Talk Tuesday

Tick Talk Tuesday #14 – Can you tell me something about my Forestville clock

May 22, 2018

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 … More Tick Talk Tuesday #14 – Can you tell me something about my Forestville clock

Blackforest movement on the test stand

Blackforest shelf clock (Canadian made) gives me grief but decides to run again

April 28, 2018

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. The movement is likely German and could have been made by a number of … More Blackforest shelf clock (Canadian made) gives me grief but decides to run again

Winding arbor above the six

A pretty little Delft clock by Forestville

September 9, 2017

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 … More A pretty little Delft clock by Forestville

Dial face with abraded numerals

Mauthe box clock – Sold by Eatons under the Solar name or a Forestville?

June 15, 2017

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 … More Mauthe box clock – Sold by Eatons under the Solar name or a Forestville?

King George

Stubborn little plate clock movement

December 26, 2016

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 … More Stubborn little plate clock movement

Searching for a donor movement pays off

June 7, 2016

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. It’s a relatively simple … More Searching for a donor movement pays off

The 400 day anniversary clock

May 22, 2016

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 … More The 400 day anniversary clock

The shelf clock – what is it, exactly?

April 27, 2016

What is a shelf clock? If you have a number of clocks as I do it can be quite confusing to describe each specific type to the average person but it is really quite simple. Let me explain how you can identify the clock you might be looking at. The term shelf clock is a broad category but I believe it can be … More The shelf clock – what is it, exactly?

A curious little Blackforest shelf clock

April 22, 2016

Shelf clocks such as the one pictured have always been hard to find though I did stumble upon this one very recently (April 2016) at an antique store in Great Village, Nova Scotia. Why, because of their cheap construction and inexpensive movements, not many of these clocks have survived over the years. This one might have had a … More A curious little Blackforest shelf clock

Forestville mantel clock

Forestville mantel clock

February 26, 2016

If you’re expecting a post about clocks from the Black Forest region of Germany, I apologize for the mix-up. This article is actually focused on the Forestville Clock Company of Canada. Forestville clocks were assembled in Canada with foreign movements in local and foreign-made cases through the late 1920s to the mid-1970s. This particular Forestville … More Forestville mantel clock

Plate clock movement

Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

September 12, 2015

I have dis-assembled this clock twice. After the first dis-assembly I cleaned and oiled it, found everything to be in order but once I assembled it, bench-tested it to find everything seemingly correct and set the beat  it would not run more that 5 to 10 minutes at a time. When it stopped it seemed to catch on … More Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

September 4, 2015

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 … More Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress