A Martin Cheney clock is on my wish list though I doubt I will ever see one let alone buy one, they are that rare. So who is this clock-maker from Montreal, Quebec? My wife and I were staying at an historic Inn in downtown Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) in the spring of 2016. We … More Who the heck is Martin Cheney?
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?
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
I hear this so often when I am purchasing clocks for my collection. Time and time again (pun not intended) I walk into someone’s home with the intent to purchase an antique clock and I am greeted by the same words more often than not, “It was my mother’s clock” or a variation, “My grandmother had this … More It was my mother’s clock
Restoring the case was relatively simple. After a thorough cleaning to lift the accumulated grime, a wax overcoat, touch-ups in discrete areas with yellow shellac, the case is very presentable for a 138 year old clock. I cleaned up the brass bezel but left the paper dial untouched. The hands are original and left those … More Ingraham Huron – the secret within – Part III
In my last post I profiled my latest acquisition (April 2016), a Ingraham Huron shelf clock, and now we will look at the movement, the case in more detail and other aspects of this fine clock. What makes this clock special is the case. The movement, a time and strike, was found in thousands of … More Ingraham Huron shelf clock- Part II
My most recent acquisition (April 2016) is an Ingraham Huron shelf clock. The Huron is one of the less commonly found Ingraham models, having been manufactured briefly between 1878-80. The clock you see here is Rosewood Veneer “Huron” Shelf Clock, by E. Ingraham & Co., Bristol, Connecticut. It has paper on a zinc dial with a round glazed door … More A rare clock – the Ingraham Huron – Part I
I am writing about an experience I had on a local for-sale site today and wonder if others have had the same happen to them. I found this Waterbury Halifax time-only wall clock for sale at a reasonable price. It had issues. It was not running and the top centre finial was missing. I was … More The ethics of buying used clocks – one that got away
Should every clock collector have a Grandfather (tall case or long case) clock? No, but it was something I had always wanted. In 2012 I was perusing a local for-sale site and came upon this particular Ridgeway grandfather clock. The ad said that the clock was in excellent condition. When I called the seller and asked … More Ridgeway Grandfather Clock
During two vacation trips to Cuba in the last 4 months I managed to locate a few clocks in my travels. Though some clocks were very intriguing none that I saw save for the tower clocks were in working condition. Nonetheless it made me wonder about their provenance in a land that time seemingly forgot. At Christmas time … More Clocks of Cuba
I got a lead through a email a few days ago on a Braunau movement that was up for sale on EBay and I am happy to say that I purchased it today. It should arrive by post in the next few days. My plan is to either take the parts out of the replacement movement or … More Gustav Becker update
A diminutive size, this clock was made around 1930 just a couple of years before the Waterbury Clock Company was placed in receivership. It is a solid oak case measuring 19 inches long by 12 inches wide, with a paper dial marked Waterbury, a black and gold pendulum aperture, and 8-day time-only movement. The bottom of the … More Waterbury “Arion” Small Octagon Short Drop wall clock
As you know from reading my last post concerning this fine timepiece I am appealing to anyone who knows anything about these particular clocks to assist me in finding a critical part for the strike side. The part is called the “star wheel / snail”. Without it the strike side will not function. The time side … More Request for assistance – attention Gustav Becker afficionados
This is a Gustav Becker 2 weight “Vienna Regulator” made at the Braunau factory in 1902. The serial number is a confirmed match for the numbered series built during that period. The clock was made in the Gustav Becker Braunau works in Bohemia (now Broumov, Czech Repulic), in mid-1902. The Braunau operation started up in February 1888 and would have … More Gustav Becker Vienna Regulator Braunau factory circa 1902
This clock has been sitting on my workbench for a couple of months. It is an attractive little Sessions tambour style mantel clock, very popular in the 1930s. I spent a little time refurbishing the case, have had good success making it look presentable compared to when it first arrived. The case was marred and … More Sessions Beveled Number 2 Re-assembly
I acquired this beautiful Mauthe Horse Crown Vienna style wall clock in the fall. I inspected it carefully enough before the purchase but it was not until I got it home that I discovered a finial or perhaps a trim piece missing from the base area on the bottom. Once hung the clock did not … More A detail can make all the difference
This is a Sessions Tambour style clock that I have been working on for the past two months. I bought it as a non-working clock. As I said in a previous post it is a fairly attractive mantel clock featuring a mahogany finish with faux inlay just south of the dial. It was made in the late … More Sessions Tambour – Beveled Number 2
It is time to buy the tools I need for clock repair. I already have a number of basic tools to get me started; pliers, letdown chucks, screwdrivers, etc. However, my first significant tool is an Ollie Baker Mainspring Winder which arrived from the USA today. It is pictured below. The Ollie Baker comes with … More Clock Repair Tools
December 18th marks the day that my Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf fan-top is off to repair. Sadly this is a repair that I cannot perform myself at this stage of my learning. The problem is essentially a clutch plate off the centre arbor that is not engaging the gear for the strike side. The result … More Maple Leaf clock is sent off for repairs
Another wall clock has joined my collection, so let’s take a closer look at what I’ve acquired and whether it was worth the price I paid. The clock was advertised locally in the Truro, Nova Scotia area. The seller knew little about it beyond its provenance, but what he did share was an interesting, albeit … More Mauthe Horse Crown Century-old Wall Clock
I have had this Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf fan-top clock for several weeks now and have decided to keep it in my collection. I was not satisfied with the condition of the case when I first saw it and knew that something had to be done. After several hours of work on the case I … More Maple Leaf case restoration Part 2
Although my newest Arthur Pequegnat kitchen clock was complete in every way the case looked like something pretty dire happened to the finish. I mentioned before that the clock was likely in a very warm environment for a long period (an attic perhaps) and while there are no cracks or breaks in the wood there was a … More Maple Leaf case restoration Part 1
I knew this Arthur Pequegnat clock had issues when I bought it but I felt that I just had to have a gingerbread clock for my collection. It is a beautiful clock and once fully restored it will be a show piece. After taking the clock out of its case and investigating further I think I have … More Maple Leaf clock motion works issue
In November 2015, I added an Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf “fan top” to my collection. The clock was advertised as non-running, and the seller’s description was accurate—it had its share of challenges. While gingerbread-style kitchen clocks don’t typically appeal to me, I felt that, as a Canadian, if I were to own one, it should … More Arthur Pequegnat Maple Leaf Kitchen Clock
I did not pay much for this Sessions tambour style clock (circa 1927) though my first thought when I picked it up was that I paid a little too much, such was the work that awaited me. This was obviously a non-working clock when I received it and it did not take much to discover why. It … More Repair and Cleaning of Sessions Beveled Number 2
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
You must be logged in to post a comment.