Canadian clock collectors are very familiar with the name Arthur Pequegnat and associate the maker’s clocks with a solid construction, robust movements, conservative designs, and nationalism since many clocks were named after towns and cities in Canada. The Moncton was named after the City of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada.
The Moncton was often found in offices and train stations across Canada and was known for its accuracy. This clock is originally from the Toronto (Ontario, Canada) area but I have no idea where it spent most of its life.
Arthur Pequegnat Moncton
For an 80+-year-old clock, it is in exceptional condition. A double spring time-only movement with a Graham deadbeat escapement running at 80BPM means that it is very accurate despite being spring-driven.
It has a 12-inch Arabic dial with simple, bold numbers. The pierced spade hands are attractive and are a common feature on many Pequegnat wall clocks. It has a fumed quarter-sawn oak case, is 35 inches high with a hinged 16-inch oak bezel door that swings to the right to reveal the dial.
The pendulum access door is 14 ½ inches high by 10 ¾ inches wide and swings to the right. The clock is 5 inches deep with wall stabilizers on either side of the case. The pendulum bob is brass over iron with an oak pendulum rod. The dial glass is original and has the “waviness” you would expect with old glass.
Assessment of the movement
With solid plates, front and back, and a mounting system similar (but not quite the same) as the Seth Thomas #2 the movement looks solid. I was expecting past repairs and some wear and, of course, a dirty movement, all confirmed when I looked at the movement for the first time.
Heavy-duty time-only movement
I removed the dial first and the movement from the case. The first step is to let down the mainsprings.
The mainsprings are much smaller than and half the width of a typical American clock with a recoil escapement. Not surprising since a Graham deadbeat escapement requires between one-fourth to one-half the driving power than the same clock using a recoil escapement. Less drive power means less wear over time. Having very few gears and little friction in the gear train also improves efficiency and time-keeping.
Even in its unserviced state, it would easily run 16 or 17 days.
I am not seeing a lot of wear, an indication that the clock has had a good life. The verge arbours may need bushing work otherwise I cannot see any other wear that is problematic. The lantern pinions are also in very good condition.
Next is to inspect the movement more closely and look for anything out of the ordinary.
In Part II I will cover the servicing of the movement.
This Chauncey Jerome 30-hour or one-day clock from about 1844-1845 is the example that I am using to illustrate the advantages of using traditional shellac as a finish coat.
The mahogany veneer is in very good condition and it is evident that the clock was not subject to the abuse one would expect of a 180-year-old clock. There is a small dent in the upper left corner but it is hardly noticeable. There are a few scratches here and there consistent with age but all in all the veneer is in great shape.
As found, a dull and lifeless case
First, is cleaning the case. My go-to cleaner for clock cases is Murphy’s Soap. It does a great job of lifting years of grime and dirt from the veneer. The tradeoff is that once you remove the dirt it reveals shellac loss. It was my intention to apply a coat of shellac in the first place so, when I got through layers of dirt and discovered some of the finish gone, I was not too concerned.
Since there are no veneer repairs, refreshing the case was pretty easy. I am not a big believer in maintaining the patina of a clock. if pt is dirty it needs to be cleaned!
I use traditional shellac consisting of flakes mixed with shellac lacquer. I use a wide artist’s brush to apply the shellac and it always produces a superior finish.
One coat of amber shellac
I have decided to leave the lower tablet as-is and as for the dial, I haven’t yet decided on whether or not to address the faded chapter ring though I am also leaning towards leaving it as-is.
The movement has been serviced, the clock is running and striking as it should and I think it looks great after the case refresh.
This 8-day Seth Thomas column and cornice time and strike shelf clock with sleigh front needed a little love. It has a Plymouth Lyre movement with a Thomaston Conn. label. The clock was made in the 1870s. and purchased five years ago and has been running since.
I will take you through my early days of veneer repair. It is probably not my best work but it was a fun and challenging project plus, there was good learning.
The Seth Thomas clock as found
A previous owner had applied brown paint on areas of veneer loss, it looked ugly and when I saw that I decided the case could use a little tender loving care. Many of these clocks are in decent condition for their age but if you are shopping for column and cornice clock from this era take note of veneer losses. You may want to reconsider your decision to purchase if you feel it is not worth the time, effort and expense or if there us so much loss that it is unsightly.
Of course, there is always the school of thought that advocates leaving things as-is and that is perfectly fine. But, a little veneer work is minimally invasive, in my view.
Veneer issues
The most troublesome sections were the top and bottom of the case and the column base, not surprising since those are the prime targets of wear and tear over the years. Most of the cornice veneer is in good shape as are the door sections, door surrounds, and the sleighs just above the feet. Although there is work to be done, I have seen worse.
The veneer used at the time was Brazilian Rosewood, an exotic wood. Rosewood would have been used extensively by clock-makers of that era and replacement Rosewood veneer would be the correct choice. I have two 7 X 8 inch pieces of Rosewood veneer, more than enough for this project.
Veneer losses on the base
Prep-workand other case issues
The cornice on the left side was missing a section and that had to be attended to before the veneer work began.
Losses on the cornice and its base
Using scrap softwood I made a small piece and trimmed it roughly to fit. In this photo, I am testing the piece and making minor adjustments for a snug fit. The section is then glued in place and allowed to dry for 24 hours.
Cornice trim piece
The top area of the front cornice is now ready to be faced with veneer.
The sections with brown paint had to be sanded down to the bare wood to improve adhesion before gluing the new veneer.
Repairs made to left cornice
In selected areas, small sections of old veneer were removed to make way for larger replacement pieces.
I have decided not to tackle the columns. There are some losses but from a reasonable distance, they are fine.
Hide glue and Bloom strength
The one true adhesive for antique clock case applications is hide glue. Hide glue would have been utilized at the time the clock was manufactured.
I chose pearl hide glue which is rated at 150g Bloom strength (500g Bloom strength, the maximum, is not necessary for this type of repair). 150g hide glue takes a little longer to gel and adhere but with the slightly longer working time moving pieces around for best fit is easy.
Home-made double boiler
To ready the adhesive place the container with the gelatinous glue in a bath of water in a pot specially designed for hide glue or a double boiler which worked equally well for me. Heat to approximately 140°F (60°C), using a candy thermometer and maintain the temperature throughout. Heating the wood surface with a hair dryer before applying the glue is an option. Full strength is reached when it’s dry, and that can take 24 hours.
An excellent article on hide glue and its strength properties can e found here.
It is best to start with a small batch. Put 2 tablespoons (30ml) of glue in a glass container and cover with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of cold water and let soak for about an hour or until the glue softens and becomes gelatinous. To make a larger batch simply follow the 2 to one rule. I recommend making small quantities, to begin with. If there is glue left over I find that it can be frozen and reused later with no ill effect.
Tools
Clamps, weights, tweezers, wax paper, a sharp knife, a metal straight-edge, painter’s tape, a micrometer, sandpaper, palm sander, and whatever you choose to use as a double boiler complete the list of tools.
Clamps used for veneer work
A micrometer is an indispensable tool for accurate measurements. Accurate measurements ensure a good fit, minimize the use of fillers and lessen waste.
Cutting, trimming & clamping
The cutting of veneer can be tricky. Veneer is brittle, and can easily tear. Veneer today is quite different than veneer used 100+ years ago as it is very thin. On some clocks you must double-up or layer the veneer to approach the height of the original veneer. Another alternative, and a better option, is to harvest veneer from old clock cases. Old veneer is thicker, is very close to the look and feel of the original finish but just as brittle.
If old veneer is hard to work with, softening it with water will have a small and short-lived effect on a veneer’s flexibility. Another option is a product called Super-Soft 2, said to be ideal for softening veneer. For the little veneer work that I do I cannot justify the cost of a commercial softener and water is satisfactory for my purposes.
Painters tape easily peels off
The next photo shows a veneer section glued and clamped into place. Wax paper is used to prevent the glue from sticking to the clamp. Clamps are essential for veneer repair but when clamps do not work other methods such as weights can be employed. Leave the clamp on for 24 hours for maximum adhesion.
Clamping cornice veneer
Cutting can be a challenge since you must follow the grain and narrow strips can break very easily. Painters tape prevents tearing and is easily removed from the veneer prior to or after the application.
The most challenging areas were the very top and very bottom of the case and the column bases but after many hours the veneer work is now complete. The next step is colour matching the new to the existing veneer.
Top of cornice veneerwith new veneer
Rosewood Minwax Gel stain is a close match to the older veneer but I would recommend experimenting with a coat of shellac first before applying a stain, in fact, a stain should be a last resort.
The base section is finished
There is always good learning resulting from each project and in retrospect, I should have replaced the entire section under the left sleigh rather than cut two pieces of veneer to fit either side of the existing piece.
The completed case includes a repainted dial and replacement upper tablet
As with any other project, there will always be a slight colour variance between old and new veneer and the goal, as always, is to come as close as possible to the original finish.
The last photo shows the completed clock with a repainted dial and a new middle tablet.
I was not really looking for an ogee clock to add to my collection. But there it was sitting in a lonely corner of an antique shop calling me, “buy me”; and I did.
It is probably the oldest one in my collection of 4 other ogee clocks. It was made in or about 1845. Now, being old does not necessarily make it valuable. In fact, millions of these clocks were produced and many found their way to online auction sites in recent years contributing to a huge drop in value. You can find them online for a little more than I paid for mine but they are pretty cheap nonetheless. This one was $54.
As found
The case label located on the backboard inside the clock case was printed by John Benham in 1845. Comparing the movement in this case with one found on a popular Jerome database site tells me that it is a type 1.311 Jerome movement. Jerome movements were typically marked though some, like this one, were unmarked which is not unusual.
So, the case and the movement are near enough in time to tell me that the movement is very likely original to the case. That is always a good sign as many ogee cases had worn movements replaced over the years. In some cases, there was little intertest in matching the maker of the case to the movement especially if a customer’s only wish is to have a working clock and since the movements were interchangeable it made it that much easier. Many of these clocks are over 180 years old and one can expect some subtle and not-so-subtle changes over the years.
While very attractive and running well this clock (below), a “marriage”, is an EN Welch case with a Waterbury movement. When considering the purchase of an ogee clock, if it is important to you, check that the movement and case are from the same maker though that is not an absolute guarantee they started their lives together.
EN Welch and Waterbury marriage
What is original and what has been replaced?
Typically parts that have been lost/damaged or replaced over the years include the verge, suspension spring/leader, the pendulum bob, the weights, the hands, and case parts like pulley dust caps. In some cases, the lower tablets have been removed altogether because of breakage or severe paint loss, replaced by a clear glass panel, a mirror, a photograph, or a picture (often from a discarded calendar).
The leader and suspension spring are missing. The verge appears to be a replacement, the weights look original as do the hands and pendulum bob. There is a missing top movement block that secures the movement to the backboard and that is about it.
I am reserving judgment on the frosted glass tablet; it may or may not be original. It would be pretty exciting if it were a Fenn design but I doubt it. William Fenn was one of the more prolific tablet-makers of the mid-19th century. The dabs of red paint are certainly added later.
The clock dial, likely original, is signed C. Jerome below the twelve o’clock.
Assessment of the movement
This is a typical 30-hour or one-day time and strike movement.
I found some wear and I was expecting some past repairs. There is a repair date of 1863 on the inside of the access door but I can’t make out what was done at that time.
There are two bushings installed on the front plate, the second wheel, and the hour gear. On the back, there are four replacement bushings, evidence that it has had acceptable servicing. One seldom finds replacement bushings on an ogee clock. Most movements I have come across have punch marks around the bushing holes, a common practice by past clock repairers to close elongated holes.
Type 1.311 Jerome movement
Three of the replacement bushings will have to be redone and new bushings are required for the back-plate time side main wheel and the strike side back-plate main wheel for a total of five.
The pressure washer for the time side main wheel is completely worn out. Had I not separated the wheel and ratchet for cleaning I would not have discovered the problem but it tells me that it could fail at some future point.
To the right is the pressure washer with centre worn through
I have a donor New Haven 30-hour movement that will provide the replacement washer.
The lantern pinions have some wear but are quite acceptable. One trundle is loose on the escape wheel. Rather than take it apart and re-seat the troublesome trundle, a dab of Loctite Red should fix it in place.
These are two unusual issues but not insurmountable.
A lantern pinion with a loose trundle
Because the movement was so oily and dirty I pre-cleaned the parts prior to putting them in my ultrasonic. This helps extend the life of the solution. I used a medium bristle nylon brush to clean the stubborn areas.
After cleaning and drying the parts, the pivots are polished and I was pleased to find almost no wear on any of them.
Next is the bushing work. My only concern was pushing out what remained of the bushing material in the replacement bushings after drilling. I went slowly and did not apply pressure on the cutter, letting it do its work. As I suspected the Bergeon bushings are marginally smaller but each bushing fit snugly. Although I planned on five bushings, I installed six, adding a bushing for the second wheel on the time side front plate which was a little more worn than I thought. I left the escape wheel as-is, the wear is acceptable.
Next is restringing the weights, re-assembly, and testing. All went as expected.
I have worked on a few of these movements over the years but unique issues always seem to come up. Nonetheless, they are fun to work on.
Following the movement servicing, I will move on to refreshing the case.
I frequently cruise the online for-sale sites for interesting clocks and I could not help but chuckle at this one.
Would you buy a Cucuko clock?
Online ad
If you are going to sell a cute Black Forest clock take a little time to find out how to spell the darn word. It is not choochoo or cucko, or CooCoo, or Coockoo, or Cucuko, it’s Cuckoo!
The word is Cuckoo and theCuckoo is actually a bird found commonly in Europe. That little birdie that comes through the top hatch door the hour and half-hour on so-called clocks is a Cuckoo, plain and simple and they are a real thing.
Dave’s cuckoo clock
I don’t know how many times I have seen the word misspelled. How much more would a seller know about the clock if they can’t even spell the name correctly?
The name is not the only thing to snicker at, look at the price.
I got mine for free. I call it Dave’s clock, the name of the previous owner. It is a lot nicer than the one offered for sale and I’d sell it for a whole lot less than $300…… if I sold it!
Weight-driven banjo clocks have simple time-only movements that are very reliable. They can be unadorned like the one I acquired or garish almost to excess like a presentation timepiece. Authenticity can be a challenge since some presentation timepieces started life as simple wooden cases and decorative tablets, finials, sidearms and other items were added later but I love the simplicity of this one.
Presentation banjo clock by Foster Campos
Finding one for $75 is highly unusual but I am convinced the seller had no idea what it was worth. When I picked it up the seller asked me if I was interested in another clock he had for sale, a 30-hour mantel clock. He told me someone valued it at $300. Uh, no, not interested!
This federal-style banjo clock was made in the 1840s. I am reasonably certain it was made by John Sawin of Boston in 1840 or thereabout, by either himself or one of his apprentices or associates. The movement and case construction bares a strong resemblance to a Willard timepiece and there is a good reason for this.
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.
Unfortunately, there are no identifying markings on the movement or the case but there are key indicators, for example, the placement of the movement mounting “ears”, that tell me that this is a Sawin clock.
The case is complete and ready for the movement
Everything is original to the clock, weight, hands, movement, pendulum rod and bob. The dial glass was was broken at some point in the clock’s life. It had convex glass and a good many I have seen with wood bezels had flat glass. Brass bezel clocks, on the other hand, generally had convex glass, so, I have decided to replace it with flat glass.
The movement
The gear train is relatively simple and consists of 4 wheels; the main wheel, second wheel, third wheel, and escape wheel. The motion works are on the front plate.
The movement in its case
Assessment of the movement
As expected there is wear but consistent with the age of the clock. The movement looks good overall, the gear teeth and pinions are in very good condition but, there are punch marks around the pivot holes. It is never a good feeling to see punch marks around the pivot holes. Punching effectively closes the pivot holes but in a very crude way. This was an old practice and is not considered acceptable today.
Pivots are required for the main wheel front plate, second wheel back-plate, third wheel, and the escape wheel front plate. The verge may require front and back bushings but I will see how things look when the other bushing work is complete. Three are 2mm wide Bergeon bushings, the fourth is 2.5 and the main wheel bushing is larger. I don’t often work with bushings as small as 2mm and it simply means extra care must be taken to cut and ream as accurately as possible.
Bergeon Bushing MachinePunch mark, left of winding arbourNew bushing for main wheel arbour
There was a good amount of movement in the main wheel arbour and installing a bushing was necessary to tighten things up. I have bushings that are 1.5 mm and 3mm thick but the plate is 2mm. A 3mm bushing was installed and using a file I reduced the height to 2 mm. Three other bushings were then installed with no issues.
I have decided to leave the verge bushings as-is for now.
The weight cable had no kinks or broken strands, I cleaned it in the ultrasonic and reused it. For brass cable, I generally knot each end and use solder to secure the knot to prevent it from slipping out of its knot.
Two weeks laterand two issues
The weight cable is too short. The clock stops when the weight is several inches from the bottom of the case and it will only run six days instead of the usual eight. Why was the cable shortened? Who knows?
The Keystone
A second issue. The keystone is the piece between the suspension spring and the pendulum leader. It comes very close to hitting the large wheel of the motion works on the left side. Since the suspension spring is quite bent the right side of the keystone rubs against the back of the dial face stopping the clock. A bent spring is a consequence of leaving the pendulum assembly on the movement during transport.
Unfortunately, I cannot source a suspension spring alone and must purchase either the keystone and suspension spring together from an American supplier or the entire spring, leader and stake for about $55.00 from a Canadian supplier. In the meantime the movement runs until I put the dial on.
Sawin banjo clock c.1840
I am in no hurry for this one and will continue testing it until I come up with a solution for the bent suspension spring.
It is always a thrill to reach a milestone. Six years ago I attended a WordPress workshop and after the instructor assisted us in setting up a rudimentary site, I thought, I can do this. I can talk about clocks! WordPress 101 certainly made it sound so easy but it wasn’t as easy as I thought as I began my journey.
It has taken time to build a following, more than I ever imagined. It takes planning, commitment, an investment of energy, and, finally, perseverance but at the end of the day, it has been worth it.
My office about two years ago
I began by following other blogs and making notes on what made them successful and eventually found a natural style that was best for me. Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of blogs come and go in the past six years, bloggers that ran out of ideas, lost interest in their blog, or for whatever reason, life got in the way. And some of those blogs were pretty darned good. But I wasn’t going to let that affect me.
The first two years were frustrating, to say the least, and I don’t know how many times I thought of quitting, but I hung in even though the number of views was, well, disappointing. I knew my content was interesting, certainly to me and I knew there were people out there who had a yearning to read and learn about mechanical clocks, so, I stuck with it. And, I am glad I did.
Case repair and restoration work area
As I have said elsewhere if you regularly use a lathe to cut gear teeth, re-pivot arbours, bush mainspring barrels on a weekly basis, fashion new wheels from raw stock or make advanced repairs on complicated movements and cases, this is probably not the place for you but you are welcome to leave any comments or suggestions or simply read one of my blog articles over a cup of coffee in the morning.
Seth Thomas #2 c. 1922
After six years I still consider myself a clock repair generalist though there is no denying that I continue to build my repertoire of clock repair and restoration skill. Judging from my mail I seem to appeal to those who are like-minded. I appreciate those who have stumbled onto my site looking for advice and guidance on a particular clock or clock repair issue.
Hamburg American Clock Co (HAC) mantel clock c.1908
But I especially appreciate comments and suggestions from regular viewers. And, yes, there is fan mail, most of it sent privately and I take great pleasure in responding to each and every query.
Ingraham Grecian c.1875
As I review articles that have the greatest number of views it seems clear to me that most of my visitors are looking for how-to and general information articles. That suits me just fine.
After six years I have developed an understanding of my audience and have managed to produce blog articles that seem to appeal to a wide range of people with an interest in horology.
Will I continue? Darn right, and as they say, the best is yet to come.
Ah, the holiday season is upon us, what to buy? Are you are looking for a unique gift for a friend or family member. An antique clock may not be anything you have considered but wouldn’t it make a terrific gift.
Mauthe time and strike wall clockfrom 1895
If you know a little about antique or vintage clocks or you know nothing at all, you may need some help finding the right clock for that special person. I will give you a few pointers plus an explanation of some of the terms you may come across.
Why buy an antique or vintage clock?
A year ago I sold a clock to a young woman who was looking for a unique gift for her father. She responded to my advertisement by saying that it was exactly the clock she was looking for because it reminded her of the family clock when she was young.
Sentimental reasons, satisfying the need to acquire anything antique, or the uniqueness of an old mechanical clock top the list for reasons to buy an old clock.
What is the difference between antique and vintage?
It is not easy to tell the age of a clock, or, for that matter, anything in an antique store and, ads for clocks seldom tell the year it was produced although it might hint at the period it was made, for example, “mid-century”. A quick trip through the world of Google will give you a general sense of how old something is give or take a few years.
Vintage Kienzle wall clock from the 1930s
An antique is anything over 100 years old and vintage is less than 100 years but more than 30 years old. Anything that is less than 30 years old may be considered vintage but more often called collectible.
Mechanical or something else
This article focuses on mechanical clocks but there are a lot of different types of clocks out there and online auction sites are filled with every type imaginable. It can be confusing to the shopper.
As a general rule quartz clocks have limited value and very few would be considered collectible.
Electro-mechanical clocks have a traditional mechanical movement, which keeps time with an oscillating pendulum or balance wheel powered through a gear train by a mainspring but uses electricity to rewind the mainspring with an electric motor or electromagnet. Something quite different is the electro-magnetic clock, popular in the 1950s. Both types can be highly desirable but leave that to the professional collector who knows specifically what they are looking for.
In the 1930s electric shelf, desk and wall clocks were introduced into homes everywhere. Some have value but most are not worth the trouble.
Sessions 3W electric table clock 1927
They are great timekeepers but are often quite worn, dangerous to work on, and can be difficult to repair. I would not give one as a gift unless you know that it was serviced by a competent professional.
My advice is to stick to an antique or vintage mechanical clock.
One last note; beware of conversions, clocks where the mechanical movement was taken out for whatever reason and replaced by a quartz movement. They are worthless but some people fall for this sinful and deceptive practice.
Type of clock and placement
Space is the biggest consideration.
Antique Seth Thomas alarm clock from around 1910
In the trend towards smaller homes, there is not always space for a clock. Mantel clocks require a shelf or table to put them on.
Simple time-only or time and strike clocks can be quite small but others may have more a complicated Westminster chime movement in a larger case. Alarm and desk clocks occupy the least space.
This 1917 Gustav Becker Vienna Regulator is 51 inches long
Wall clocks are easier to place. Wall clocks come in all shapes and sizes from the diminutive cuckoo clocks to large box clocks and Vienna regulators.
Floor clocks, otherwise called grandfather or grandmother clocks, tall case, long case or hall clocks are the most difficult to place. Unless the person in mind would appreciate one and has sufficient floor space I would not recommend one.
Working or non-working clock?
A working clock that has been recently serviced by a competent clock repairer is the most desirable. However, if the clock will be a decoration or part of the decor and a working clock is unimportant, you might find them less expensive to purchase. Perhaps one with a replacement quartz movement might be okay as long as you know that’s what you are getting.
Clockbuying tips
1990s Ridgeway grandfather clocktakes up space
Look for a working clock over a non-working one. Chances are it has been better cared-for over its life span.
Facebook Marketplace, eBay, your local online for-sale site (we have kijiji in Nova Scotia), reputable estate auction sites, antique stores and word of mouth are among the best sources.
Most common clocks are priced reasonably. Clock prices have generally fallen over the last 5 years but expect to pay more for rare clocks or those with a special provenance.
Stay away from Chinese made or Korean clocks or most anything that has directional arrows around the winding points. They have very powerful mainsprings and will potentially harm the user if the springs break.
The maker of the clock is largely unimportant. For example, all American clock producers made cheaper and more expensive lines of clocks.
A little research is always helpful before you make the purchase. A little knowledge might be a dangerous thing but knowing nothing is worse.
It may or may not be important to you if the clock has been altered in any way but it is nice to know. For example, many old ogee clocks are attractive but have had a replacement movement installed when the old one failed. In the clock world these are called marriages and it makes a difference to some people.
Try to inspect the clock in person before you buy. Surprises are never nice when you discover something sent to you is not what you expected.
Well, if you are looking for a clock for that special person I hope I have given you something to think about before you put your money down.
I should say that I am not in the business of selling clocks but will sell the odd one locally to keep my collection manageable.
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.
As found
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.
Original (?) bob cleaned with Brasso
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.
The name Jerome is just readable
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.
30-hour unmarked Jerome movement
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.
Original tablet?
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.
John Benham label is in rough shape
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.
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?
Restored Jerome ogee
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.
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 mahogany tinted case shows well
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.
Not a lot of dirt and grime
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.
Plenty of levers and helper springs
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.
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.
Vienna Regulator clock C.1870
70 countries must live with it.
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.
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.
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.
HAC movement
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.
Same as above with an extension
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 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 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.
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.
Upper right mounting “ear”
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.
As found
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.
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.
A pleasant surprise
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.
Gilbert movement
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 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.
Seller’s photo
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.
All cleaned except the base
In the photo above the base, which was the last section to be cleaned, is almost black.
Base section
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.
Clean weight on leftBrass hands and Brasso
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.
Finally complete
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.
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.
Could be a diamond in the rough
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.
ABoston 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!
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.
Seller’s photo
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.”
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.
Inspecting an antique pocket watch
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
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!
Disassemblyand 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.
Escape wheel bridge
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.
Bent arbour on second wheel
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.
New Haven movement
Since this is a large movement with a long pendulum, a grandfather clock stand is ideal for testing.
New Haven movementNew Haven movement
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.
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.
HAC clock movement servicing
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.
Facebook group
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.
NAWCC website
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.
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.
Olie Baker spring winder
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.
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.
Kienzle World Time clock
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 hammersFront 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.
Parts are sorted into containers
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.
Testing the Kienzle movement on a makeshift test stand, beat amplifier is attached
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.
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.
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 Canuck kitchen clockArthur Pequegnat fan top kitchen clockArthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf Pointed Top
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.
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.
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.
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.
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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