Servicing a Sessions Grand Assortment time and strike movement

_The Grand Assortment was sold “six in a case” to retailers who then sold them separately. The name “Assortment” seems appropriate and I am not surprised that some collectors refer to them simply as the Grand. So, was the “Assortment” a choice among a number of Grands (Grand 1, Grand 2, etc.)?

Selling clocks in lots of 6 was a fairly common practice in the early part of the 20th century. An individual might order one of the clocks either directly from Sessions or working through a retailer but would normally select one from the retailer’s shelf.

This clock was bought at auction in the spring (of 2022). The plan is to fix it up and sell it to offset a recent equipment acquisition. I am not normally in the business of selling clocks but will sell the odd one locally to keep my collection manageable.

The clock case needs quite a bit of work which I will address in a future article.

The movement looks good but it is very grimy, no surprise there. We’ll get to that later in this post.

The dial, however, may not be salvageable. One option is a new paper dial, and another is a replacement with a suitable and period-correct alternative. I have the same size Arabic dial from an Ingraham gingerbread that I might use. Manufacturers interchanged Roman Numerals and Arabic dials on some models and I have seen at least one Grand Assortment on the internet with an Arabic dial so, an Arabic dial may be a good look.

These Sessions models were around for a number of years up to 1915 or so and like everything else the gingerbread clock fell out of style. I imagine this one sat on a shelf as a decoration for a good number of years after that.

The movement

Apart from having an even coating of dirt and grime all over the movement, there is surprisingly little wear.

Most Sessions movements I have come across have had a hard life and usually require a fair bit of intervention in terms of repairs including numerous new bushings. This movement may not need any as far as I can determine during my initial assessment. As a matter of fact, this is probably the least worn Sessions movement I have ever worked on. It is not without issues, however.

Judging from pivot scratch marks, wrench marks on the plate around the pillar nuts, mangled helper wires, and a replacement spring for the click on the time side it certainly has been worked on in the past, likely cleaned more than once.

_{A coating of dirt all over the movement}

There was a film of rust on the mainsprings, not enough to write them off and they still have plenty of power left in them.

Clicks are a documented weakness in Sessions’ movements. Both sides were in good condition although I had to re-attach the click spring on the time side. A past repairer had attempted a fix and replaced the original wire with a steel replacement wire that looks homemade, but it works. It just needed tightening.

The helper springs were evidently broken at some point and shortened. One was wrapped around the top pillar post and the lifting lever was wrapped around the count lever. Both should be attached to a pillar. I was able to reuse one but the other had to be replaced.

Most, but not all, American time and strike clocks have helper springs to maintain tension on lifting and locking levers. Springs are occasionally removed from a movement either because they are broken and/or repairers do not understand their function.

The mainsprings are in good condition. They were cleaned and oiled.

_{Mainspring retention clip to restrain the power of the springs}

No bushing work is required for this movement which is a rarity for old American clocks I have come across. All pivots were polished, pivot holes pegged out and now for reassembly.

This is a fairly easy movement to reassemble but the strike side count and drop levers must be in the correct position in order for the strike side to function correctly. That means the drop lever is in the slot of the cam and the count lever is in the deep slot of the count wheel. The lock pin on the wheel just below the fan must also be next to the locking lever.

Sometimes I get it right the first time but often I must separate the plates on the top corner and re-adjust the locking wheel.

_{Everything in place but the escape wheel}

Once re-assembled it is placed on the test stand for several cycles.

The next step is addressing the clock case finish.

The clock case needs quite a bit of work and may require stripping, not something I do as a matter of routine but in its present condition, it will never attract a buyer.

June 7, 2022

An obituary for an E. Ingraham gingerbread clock – the case that is!

_Can this gingerbread clock made by E. Ingraham be saved? Possibly, but this clock is destined to become a parts clock and I will explain why in this post. In the spring of this year (2022) 4 clocks were bought at auction. I can save three of them but not this one.

Gingerbread clocks often called “kitchen clocks”, were introduced after the American Civil War and remained popular until the end of World War I.

The term is derived from the tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses which began in Germany in the early 1800s. The broad application of the gingerbread style applied to almost anything including clocks.

The gingerbread design is polarizing. Collectors either love them or hate them. I am not particularly fond of the design generally, with certain exceptions, but I can see how some collectors are attracted to the style.

The cases were steam-pressed oak and occasionally other hardwoods were used. Various designs were pressed by a heat-bond process which was quite advanced for the time. It was a time-saver, spectacular designs were pressed within seconds and it saved on labour costs. Hundreds of thousands of these steam-pressed oak-cased clocks were made and all are now well over 100+ years old.

So, what is off putting about this clock?

It came with no glass and to me that is the deciding factor. I do not have the time or inclination to look for an appropriate tablet for this clock and obtaining one will not increase its value appreciably will not make it more desirable.

The case may look good but the auction photo does not tell the entire story. There are newer screws and nails in various places in the rear of the case that were used to keep the case from falling apart and not a very professional job at that. It would have to be taken apart and re-glued.

On top of everything I don’t like this clock enough to spend any time on it.

I can use the dial for a Sessions clock I am working on and will keep the case, harvesting what wood I need for future projects.

I will inspect the movement and if things look good, service it and sell it separately.

Call this an obituary. The reality is this clock has been around for over 100 years, has served its purpose and has now come to the end of its life.

May 28, 2022

Grand Assortment by Sessions – is the assortment really that grand?

This is not the first Grand Assortment clock from the Sessions Clock Co. that I have worked on. In June 2019 I repaired a family member’s clock. It is exactly the same model.

The Grand Assortment was sold “six in a case” to retailers who then sold them separately. The name “assortment” seems appropriate and I am not surprised that some collectors refer to them simply as the Grand. Selling clocks in lots of 6 was a fairly common practice in the early part of the 20th century. An individual could probably order one of the clocks either directly from Sessions or working through a retailer but would normally select one from a retailer’s shelf.

Tran Duy Ly shows this Assortment model from the 1915 catalogue. It was likely made earlier but this style of clock was well on its way out by about 1915. This is Grand No. 3 and the price was $4.00, a day’s salary for a working man. All were eight-day runners but could be ordered with alarm (45 cents extra), cathedral bell (45 cents more), or standard wire bell.

This one was purchased at auction for $35 and listed as “not-tested”. “Not-tested” is an interesting auction term for “it may or may not work and it probably doesn’t”.

_{The note came with the clock} _{(1903 is the year Sessions began making clocks)}

Gingerbread clocks also called “kitchen clocks” were introduced after the American Civil War and remained popular until the end of World War I. The term is derived from the tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses which began in Germany in the early 1800s. The broad application of the gingerbread style applied to almost anything including clocks.

However, gingerbread clocks have polarizing designs. Collectors either love them or hate them. I am not particularly fond of the design of this one but I can see how many at the time were attracted to the style.

The clocks’ cases were steam-pressed oak and occasionally other hardwoods were used. Various designs were pressed by a heat-bond process which was quite advanced for the time. It was a time-saver, spectacular designs were pressed within seconds and it saved on labour costs. Hundreds of thousands of these steam-pressed oak-cased clocks were made and all are now well over 100+ years old.

The clock is 22 inches tall, ten inches wide with a 6-inch dial. It is a time-and-strike movement striking the hour and half-hour on a coiled wire gong.

I am not a huge fan of Sessions’ movements, particularly from this vintage. Too many helper springs, frustrating to re-assemble, and setting up the strike side is always finicky plus the poorly designed weak clicks are prone to failure (yet they’ve lasted this long!). Set up properly they will run reliably for years and are reasonably good time-keepers for a spring-driven clock.

Is it worth fixing? Certainly, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the movement but the case is in rough shape and will require considerable intervention. The paper dial on tin is also in poor condition. Quite often the crown is broken, pieces missing or cracked which is the case for this one and unfortunately, it is not very well glued back together.

The Plan

The movement should be fairly easy to service. I don’t see a lot wrong with it upon initial inspection. As expected it is quite dirty but I don’t see a lot of wear. I won’t know conclusively until I take it apart. The plan is to put the movement in proper running order.

_{A dirty movement but there does not seem to be a lot of wear}

The finish is badly aligorated and will need a lot of work. “Aligorated” means that over time the surface of the case was exposed to heat and high humidity causing the shellac to coagulate in clumps resulting in a mottled finish. I will attempt to renew the finish which might involve stripping the finish. That may sound extreme but it may be the only solution.

Rust has bled through the paper dial and as such it is beyond hope and will be impossible to restore. I may change out the Roman numeral dial with an Arabic dial from an E. Ingraham gingerbread clock from the same period. The dial size is exactly the same and the centre canon and winding arbours fit perfectly. Checking on the internet I note that there are several Grand Assortments with Arabic dials.

Once the movement is serviced and the case is redone, there should be a dramatic improvement. I have already decided that I will not be keeping it as it will be resold to offset equipment costs.

May 24, 2022

The case may be a lost cause but I can save the movement

The case might be a lost cause but I can certainly save the movement of this Ingraham Ocean series gingerbread clock. The clock came to me in fair condition but it was missing a key element, the glass tablet and for that reason, I am not inclined to source a replacement, the clock is just not worth it.

There were several shards of glass at the bottom of the case and I suspect the glass was broken during its journey to the auction house or at the auction house itself which is unfortunate. I could substitute with clear glass but that would diminish the value of a clock that is not worth much, to begin with.

_{Ingraham Ocean} _Line, _{pieces of another clock in foreground of auction photo}

However, I can save the movement and the dial as well as a door catch, perhaps use it for future projects or for spare parts.

It was dirty as one would expect and it has not seen the inside of a professional repair shop judging from a rather sloppy click repair. The repair appears to have held and I will tidy it up and leave it.

The movement is interesting and clearly late manufacture. The number 11 is stamped on the movement which might indicate that it was made or about in 1911. Regardless, it is from the pre-war period. I also see steel pieces such as the intermediate wheel, the centre cannon, the fly and the count-wheel hub.

All the parts were placed in the ultrasonic and cleaned following which I replaced the wheels between the plates to recheck for wear. It looks like 5 new bushings on the front plate, 2 on the strike side and on the time side, and all the upper wheels in the trains. On the back, the third wheel requires a new bushing as does the second wheel and the escape wheel.

_{Black dots mark where new bushings will go.}

Eight bushings in all, which is fairly standard for a movement with this degree of wear.

I have not worked on an Ingraham movement in some time but recall that the strike side is set up quite differently.

The count wheel is mounted on the second arbour (unlike most which mount on the main wheel arbour) and advances by means of two pins that extend from the third wheel lantern pinion. The third wheel is a combined locking wheel and pin wheel. There is no cam on the arbour, instead, there is a space between two pins that allows the lever to drop at the same time the paddle drops into the deep slot on the count wheel. The fourth wheel is just used for warning and not for locking.

Reassembly and testing

All went well. A couple of adjustments had to be made but otherwise, it is running well. I will leave it on the test stand for a week or two.

The movement will go into a bag and be stored for a future project. I already have plans for the harvested clock parts but if I find another Ingraham gingerbread in the Ocean series, I might consider resurrecting this one if the tablet is intact.

May 12, 2022

Several clocks bought at auction this spring

I am an avid collector of antique and vintage clocks which means I cruise the online auction sites regularly, about once or twice a week. This spring I checked out offerings from a local online auction site that deals with estate items, placed bids on 4 clocks (actually 5 since one lot had two clocks). The one I did not win was a 6 column Sessions mantel clock but no real loss there.

I won the bids on four clocks. CDN110 was the total though with buyers’ premium and taxes the price jumped to CDN147, still not bad for a small collection of antique clocks.

I do not have these clocks as of this writing since they are sitting at the auction house but I think can make a preliminary judgment based on what I see in the auction photos.

Although I am normally not in the business of selling clocks I will sell the odd one to keep my collection manageable. The plan is to fix these clocks and sell them to offset clock equipment purchases most notably an Adams Brown Timetrax 185, an electric clock timer, an amplifier that measures the rate of mechanical clocks by sensing escapement action and mechanical sounds of the escapement which I recently purchased. Here they are.

Unknown cottage clock

In no particular order of importance let’s start with an octagon cottage clock from the 1870s or 80s. It is a 30-hour clock judging from the placement of the winding points.

From the style of the pendulum bob and the case itself, I would say an E. Ingraham & Co. time and strike cottage clock. Some would have come with an alarm. This one does not.

It is in fair shape. The dial appears to have serious losses and there are nicks and scratches over a good portion of the case from what I see in the photos. I wonder if the tablet is a replacement and the original reverse painted?

It is difficult to tell with the harsh auction light but the case might be made of rosewood.

It will be a good candidate for a mild refresh and should look very nice when completed.

Sessions Grand Assortment #3

Next is a Sessions Grand Assortment #3. I have worked on one in the past. There are three models in the Grand Assortment series and despite the fact that it is a lowly gingerbread clock and thousands of similarly styled clocks were sold by every major American clock manufacturer, this model is surprisingly collectible.

It is an 8-day clock with a steam-pressed oak case. The case looks very “aligorated” a term applied to a shellac finish that has coagulated as a result of being stored in a hot, humid environment such as an attic or a garage.

The tablet looks good but the dial is very degraded. This is a paper-on-metal dial and when the metal below the paper rusts the stain bleeds through to the front. This is called “foxing”. These stains are very difficult to remove and cost-prohibitive for most clocks. This is a cheap clock and a dial replacement is the only option and as such, I am not sure what to do about it.

A note is attached to the key and it says 1903. It is doubtful it was actually made in that year and I am sure the previous owner went by the year Sessions Clock Co. acquired clock-maker E.N. Welch Co. though the clock is certainly from around that period.

Reconditioning the case might be a challenge. Is it a candidate for stripping down to the bare wood? I suspect it is but we’ll see. I also see a small crack just above the top of the dial, so it might have been broken off at one point and re-glued.

I am not sure about the pendulum bob which does not look quite right for this clock. More research should provide me with the answer.

E Ingraham Ocean and Ansonia kitchen/parlour clock

Next is a two-for-one deal.

The one on the left is an E. Ingraham steam-pressed 8-day gingerbread possibly from the Ocean series. Unfortunately, it is missing its decorative tablet and that will certainly affect its resale value.

The pendulum looks right for the clock and the case itself looks to be in decent shape but as I said, it is very unfortunate that the tablet is missing.

The pieces at the foot of the gingerbread clock belong to the clock on the right. Usually, when I see pieces like this it tells me that it was handled roughly by the auction house.

What I like about this clock is its timeless design, almost Art Deco but made long before the Art Deco period.

So who is the maker of the clock on the right?

The auction description simply says, “unknown clock”. I believe it is an Ansonia 30-hour (position of the winding arbours) kitchen clock in Walnut from about the early 1880s. The tablet is bright and vivid, not a design I have seen before but likely original. Attaching the top pieces should be a fairly simple process and thorough cleaning of the clock case clock and movement should make it an ideal candidate for resale.

Of the four, two are 30-hour clocks. I have found that 30-hour clocks are a tough sell. Most casual collectors are looking for an 8-day clock since 1-day clocks are a hassle to wind but I think I can make both presentable enough to attract some buyers.

The auction notes do not say whether any of these are in working order. They are all “untested” which is typical auction-speak for “they may or may not work – the risk is yours!”.

American clocks are very tough and often work well despite being very worn. I suspect with a little encouragement I can get all of these clocks working again.

Now, to pick them up from the auction house.

Check for upcoming articles on each of these clocks.

April 2, 2022

Servicing a Pequegnat time and strike movement

Pequegnat was in the business of making clocks in Kitchener, Canada for over 35 years, 1903 to 1941. Unfortunately the shortage of brass during World War II was the death knell for this company. Pequegnat clocks are sought after by Canadian clock collectors and command higher than average prices, in Canada at least. The best collection of Pequegnat clocks can be found at the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River, Ontario.

This article concerns the servicing of a typical Pequegnat time and strike movement. By typical I mean that most time and strike movements have steel plates with brass bushing inserts pressed into the plates. This was a working clock when I got it but I knew that there had to be wear issues that needed to be addressed.

This movement comes out of a Canuck.

Arthur Pequegnat Canuck gingerbread clock

The Canuck is a gingerbread style clock, not particularly sought after by collectors but an attractive clock for the kitchen or the dining area.

I began with revitalizing the case which meant giving all the oak surfaces a good cleaning followed by two coats of shellac. The dial was in poor condition and I considered an aftermarket dial but in the end decided to try a little inpainting with good results.

Pequegnat movements with steel plates are nickle plated. Most of the plating has worn off on this movement so while it make look dirty after cleaning it is simply tarnished. The movement is well constructed with 4 cut pinions and 6 lantern pinions. I am going out on a limb here but I have worked on a lot of similar American movements and this movement, in my view, is better designed in many ways.

Dirty and tarnished but in good shape otherwise

I do not not believe this movement has ever been worked on. I see no evidence of past repairs and/or adjustments which is a good thing because undoing previous bad work can be very frustrating. There is some bushing wear as expected, but the pivots, cut pinions and lantern pinions are all in excellent condition.

The time side required 4 new bushings, T2F, T3F, T4F and T4R. The strike side required one bushing, T3F. There is plenty of power left in the mainsprings which were cleaned and oiled. Otherwise, the movement was dirty, though I have seen far worse. My ultrasonic took care of most of the dirt and grime but the wheels benefited from additional hand cleaning.

Getting everything working nicely when all is back together is more luck than skill. The strike side did not lock as it should but I decided to test the time side for a few days before opening up the plates to move the stop wheel into its correct position. Everything is working now.

A nice little project and while I would not say it was brought back to life it is completely serviced and will run for many years to come.

July 25, 2020

Arthur Pequegnat Canuck gingerbread clock first look

Hi readers, in light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19

I have a total of eight Arthur Pequegnat clocks in my collection. The newest, an Arthur Pequegnat Canuck is not exactly my favorite though it is not unattractive for a gingerbread clock. The company made a range of kitchen clocks but I have seen very few in the true gingerbread style, such as this one.

The clock runs well though it will certainly need servicing

Few are offered on online for-sale sites so it is quite possible that not many of them have survived over the years. Collectors would often pass them up as most other Pequegnat clocks are considered more desirable and valuable.

Label located under the base of the clock

Continue reading “Arthur Pequegnat Canuck gingerbread clock first look” →

April 7, 2020

Sessions Grand Assortment #3 gingerbread clock

This is the only true gingerbread clock I have in my collection, temporarily. By this summer (2019) it will be returned to a family relation.

Dial and movement has been removed; notice the 4-colour tablet design

Can you get this thing working, my sister said? Sure, I said. Grand Assortment is an odd name for a Sessions clock, I said. The name certainly lacks imagination, but this particular clock is one of three in a series and sold for $4.00 in 1915 and could be configured with alarm and/or cathedral bell. This particular clock is Grand #3.

Continue reading “Sessions Grand Assortment #3 gingerbread clock” →

June 3, 2019

What a shame! – a clock disaster

I discovered this sad case in an antique shop near my home. What was once a gingerbread clock is now a repainted case with shelves at the ridiculous price of $35. Just a few steps away was a similar parlour clock for only $20 more and it was largely intact. Some would argue that a repurposed clock case is not such a bad thing but as a clock collector I find this appalling.

Is it not better to have left the case alone and present it as an ornament rather that convert it into a hideous curio cabinet?

May 23, 2019

E Ingraham Mystic parlour clock

I do not come across many antique E Ingraham & Co. clocks and have just one other in my collection, the Huron from 1878, but I came across another recently that I found in a local antique shop. The price was right so, I snapped it up. The”S” shaped logo on the dial led me to assume it was a Sessions, but it was not – I’ll get to that later.

Rare Ingraham Huron found on a local online for-sale site — Rare Ingraham Huron balloon style clock in Rosewood

This is a parlour clock. It might have been described in company advertising as a kitchen clock. Some even refer to it as a gingerbread. There are a number of terms used when describing clocks of this style and the three names are used interchangeably by sellers on online for-sale sites and antique stores.

E Ingraham parlour clock circa 1897, sitting in an antique shop

Continue reading “E Ingraham Mystic parlour clock” →

May 9, 2019

Arthur Pequegnat clock stops after 4 days

One of the few clocks that I have had professionally serviced is an Arthur Pequegnat kitchen clock (Fan Top). In the early days of clock collecting and repair I had not acquired the necessary skills and experience to perform my own work and had some of my special clocks serviced by a skilled clock-maker. I consider this Arthur Pequegnat “fan-top” kitchen clock, a special clock.

The following comments are not a reflection of the work done by a professional clock repair shop. I consider the clock-maker who performed the service on this clock to be highly competent and I would recommend them to anyone but mechanical clocks can be very temperamental at times.

Arthur Pequegnat kitchen clock commonly known as a “Fan Top”

Two years after the clock was serviced, it stopped. It shouldn’t have! I considered all of the possibilities including weak mainsprings, bushing issues, bent, twisted or torn suspension spring and bent wheels to name a few.

Continue reading “Arthur Pequegnat clock stops after 4 days” →

May 5, 2019

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Hi readers, in light of current world events the antiquevintageclock.com family wish to convey our sympathy and condolences to those effected by Covid 19

The clock runs well though it will certainly need servicing

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