I am a retired educator living in Nova Scotia Canada. I collect vintage and antique clocks that I repair and maintain. I also write about horological areas of interest, interesting clocks and clock stories when I search for new acquisitions. As most bloggers know the key to building a successful blog is not only attracting new … More 2017 – Time to reflect, a year in summary
Tick-Talk Tuesday is about the letters and comments I have received from you, the reader, concerning your clocks, issues you might have had and challenges you face and my responses to your questions with advice on your particular clock concern(s). For those comments and questions that stump even me, I consult within my clock circles … More Daniel Dakota clock – my clock runs too fast
Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) was devastated on 6 December 1917 when two ships collided in the city’s harbour. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. On Dec. 6, 1917, the Belgian relief ship Imo rammed into the French munitions vessel Mont-Blanc, which was carrying TNT through the narrowest part of Halifax harbour. A fire on board … More Halifax Explosion – December 6, 1917
tools are essential for clock repair because they enable precision and accuracy, which are critical when working with delicate mechanisms and intricate components. Let’s identify the key reasons. Antique and vintage clocks can lose significant value if repaired improperly. Using the right tools minimizes the risk of damage, preserving their historical and monetary worth. The … More So you want to fix a mechanical clock – Part II – advanced tools
This is perhaps the dirtiest movement I have ever worked on This is perhaps the dirtiest movement I have ever worked on. The case, tablet and dial face are in beautiful condition and nicely preserved requiring little or no work at all to restore to its former glory but the movement is another story. A … More E. N. Welch Whittier model parlor clock Part III – more issues than anticipated
Tick-Talk Tuesday is about the letters and comments I have received from you, the reader, concerning your clock, issues you might have had and challenges you face and my responses to your questions with advice on your particular clock concern and of course, my general comments. For those comments and questions that stump even me, … More Tick Talk Tuesday #12 – Arthur Pequegnat Nelson hall clock
Is clock collecting (and repair) part of the counter-technology revolution? Many years ago, social scientists predicted with the onset of modern technology it would sap us of our knowledge. Our brains would simply melt away. Concentration and initiative would be sucked out of us. Why would you need to know anything if it is readily … More Is clock collecting part of the counter-technology revolution?
it is time to take a little break. You will see fewer posts over the next 2 months as I spend quality time with friends and family and decompress at our summer get-away in central Canada. I intend to make my third visit to the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River, Ontario while in the region. Regular readers know that … More Taking a little break
Regular reader and contributor JC suggested a few more clock terms I thought readers and fellow horologists might find interesting. My source for this article is the Watch and Clock Encyclopedia by Donald de Clarke, published by Bonanza Books (1984) which is still available on Amazon. Gridiron pendulum: A pendulum consisting of alternating steels and … More More fascinating terms – the language of clocks
It has been one year since my wife presented me with a Vienna Regulator wall clock as a retirement gift. I was in heaven! I always wanted a Gustav Becker clock. I thought it was the holy grail of clocks. As I delve more deeply into this hobby and have the benefit of a greater knowledge … More My Gustav Becker – one year later
I am a retired college professor based in Nova Scotia Canada, live in a little village just outside Truro and collect vintage and antique clocks that I repair and maintain. I also write about horological areas of interest and of interesting clocks and clock stories that I encounter on my travels. In the spring of … More 2016 – Time to reflect, a year in summary
When I first started clock collecting and repair many people said to me, stay as far away as you can from those darned Chinese wall clocks. They are garbage! They have thin plates, are cheaply made with many stamped parts and they explode without warning. Not true! Oh, yes, they have thin plates and many … More Why I love my Daniel Dakota wall clock
I had a discussion with David, a horologist acquaintance who is currently working on my 138 year old Ingraham Huron mantel clock (pictured above) about clock repairs in days gone by. He said he had happened to have a conversation a few days ago with an 82 year friend who had been in the clock repair … More Clock repair in days gone by
Once a year we travel to central Canada and since I am always on the lookout for clocks when I am on the road, they can show up in the strangest of places. We stopped a a boutique hotel in downtown Quebec City and came across this Snider Starburst clock in the dining area. Many … More Clocks I discovered on my summer travels (2016)
I have related the story of this most interesting Ingraham Huron mantel clock in an earlier blog which you can read about here. I purchased it at what I believe was a reasonable price from an older couple near Bridgewater, Nova Scotia who were in the midst of downsizing. It had been in their family … More Ingraham Huron – off to the shop for restoration!
In Maritime Canada, this weekend marks the time to turn the clocks back. We have a saying, “Spring forward, fall behind,” which refers to the switch from Atlantic Daylight Savings Time (DST) to Standard Time on November 6th, moving the clocks back by one hour. As a result, we gain “an extra hour of daylight” … More Idioms and expressions with the word “clock” in them
Everybody appreciates a serviced clock when they are making a purchase. However, there is no acceptable definition for the term “Fully Serviced”. Fully serviced may mean one thing for the amateur clock collector and repairer and another to a professional clock repair shop. The other day I was responding to a FaceBook post which offered a … More What the term a “fully serviced” clock really means
Taking a little time off seems like an amusing title for a clock blog. It just struck me (there I go again). In the next few weeks you will see fewer posts as I am spending some quality time with friends and family at our summer get-away in central Canada. While in that area I intend to make … More Taking a little time off
Last summer (2015) I bought a Blackforest time-only shelf clock for $10 at a small antique store in Kazabazua, Quebec which you see pictured below. To be fair it did not look like this when I bought it. It was quite beaten up and a case refresh was sorely needed which included stripping and re-staining. It’s a relatively simple … More Searching for a donor movement pays off
The curator of The Canadian Clock museum was kind enough to respond to an email I sent concerning the absence of Martin Cheney clocks as well as provide further information on the collection. First of all, Mr. Symons explained that the museum profiles two centuries of Canadian clocks, which include many Canadian manufacturers that represent 90% … More Update to my clock museum post
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
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
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
Antique and Vintage Mechanical Clocks 
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