Sessions Mission style clock – an interesting challenge to what should have been a routine servicing

This is the only mission-style clock in my collection. Made by the Sessions Clock Co. of America in or about the 1920s it reflects classic Mission design and is rather attractive. I was not searching for this clock but a $10 find in a Pembroke, Ontario thrift shop is hard to pass up.

Though this clock is a non-running Sessions movement they are simple enough to work on. The time side was easy to get running with a simple crutch adjustment but there was a good reason the strike side had not been working in many years. After servicing the movement I now understand why it ended up in a thrift shop.

The case is in reasonably good condition requiring a light cleaning and there is nothing missing overall save the winding key which can be easily sourced. The minute hand fell apart while I was setting the time, probably as a result of being bent so many times but it can be easily repaired.

The movement is a conventional Sessions design with a between-the-plates escapement setup as opposed to earlier Sessions movements that had outboard escapements. The movement is complete and everything is there including a few extra parts thrown in for “good” measure.

Movement issues

I observed a number of “X” marks around bushings but absent are punch marks or replacement bushings. Was there a plan to install new bushings?

_{An X mark beside a bushing hole and why the mysterious drilled hole adjacent to the escape wheel bushing hole}

An “X” mark usually indicates a bushing hole that requires remediation, and why is the mysterious hole perilously close to the escape wheel bushing hole?

The cam wheel pegs for the strike lever have both been soldered and although it is not the neatest work the repair seems solid.

The actuator arm for the hour strike had been bent so many times that it snapped off when I tried to test the clock before disassembly. This can also be repaired.

The real fun begins

I make it a point to label the mainsprings so that the time and the strike mainspring return to the same location. At times it makes little difference but, at other times, as in the case of this movement, the difference is significant.

In this movement, there is a slight difference in the strike mainspring arbour design so that the arbours cannot be reversed. Because of the slight variation in the strike side mainspring arbour the gears do not mesh correctly if the arbour is reversed. A past repairer switched the two mainspring arbours, time to strike side and strike to time side, and bent wheels to make them fit.

_{The count wheel is shaped into a bowl to force it to engage the second wheel arbour}

Because the mainspring arbours were switched, a previous repairer had screwed a small brass piece into the plate to push the arbour to the right and enable the second wheel to engage the count wheel.

_{A brass piece (left) was screwed into the plate to push the second wheel toward the count wheel}

A piece soldered onto the arbour to prevent lateral movement was unnecessary because the abours had been switched.

_{Brass piece soldered onto the time side mainspring (below hammer) to prevent the arbour from moving too much}

It took a couple of assembling and disassembling tries to discover the problem, which is valuable time wasted on the bench.

In short, a past repairer did not understand what they were doing and made unnecessary changes complicating what would otherwise be a routine service. Home-cooked repairs are at times functional but often they are an absolute disaster and sometimes the most challenging part of clock repair is fixing other people’s shoddy repairs.

The remainder of servicing went as expected. There was some movement of the pivots in the pivot holes but not enough to justify bushing work at this time. As expected there is less wear on the strike side.

_{Minute hand fixed, hands, bob, and numerals polished and now on display}

So, another clock was brought back to life and a satisfactory repair despite the challenges.

November 11, 2022

Sessions Mission style wall clock – past shoddy repairs make servicing a challenge

Between 1903 and 1933 the Sessions Clock Company of America produced 52 models of mechanical clocks ranging from simple mantel clocks and shelf clocks to wall or “regulator” clocks all designed for the home or small businesses.

Found in many homes across America Sessions clocks were regarded as relatively inexpensive, simple in design, and decently constructed aside from one noted design flaw, the clicks. After a hundred years many Sessions clocks are still running.

This is the only mission-style clock in my collection. I was not particularly looking for this one but a $10 find in a thrift shop is hard to pass up. Though this clock is non-running Sessions movements are simple enough to work on.

As there is no maker’s label I can’t tell you the model name or number of this wall clock but I assume that it was made in the early part of the 20th century.

The movement

The case is in very good condition and there is nothing missing save the winding key which can be easily sourced. The minute hand broke while I was setting the time, probably as a result of being bent so many times. That can be repaired.

_{Sessions movement with front plate off}

The movement is a conventional Sessions design with a between-the-plates escapement setup as opposed to earlier Sessions movements that had inboard escapements.

I noticed many “X” marks around bushings but I did not see punch marks or replacement bushings. Was it meant to have had the bushings replaced?

The cam wheel pegs for the striking lever have both been soldered and although it is not a very neat job the repair seems strong enough.

There is a hole adjacent to the escape wheel arbor which might have been made through manufacture but it is oddly close to the escape wheel bushing hole.

One more issue. The actuator arm for the hour strike had been bent so many times that it snapped off when I tried to test the clock before disassembly. This can also be repaired.

In short, this is a clock that has been worked on in the past and I would think, not by a professional. Sometimes home-cooked repairs are strong and functional and other times they leave a lot to be desired.

All is not lost and I think this movement can be saved.

October 7, 2022

Mission style wall clock from Sessions – first look

Once the Sessions Clock Co acquired E. N. Welch assets in 1902 (for more on the history of E. N. Welch Clock Co. go here) the company was well on its way to becoming one of the biggest clock producers in America. Production began in 1903 and between that time and 1933 Sessions produced 52 models of mechanical clocks, ranging from Advertisers, large and small clocks with logos of various businesses, to wall, or regulator clocks, and shelf or mantel clocks, designed for the home.

The vast majority of Sessions clocks are generic types that have limited value today. I do not know one particular clock made by Sessions that is highly sought after by collectors today although if there is one, please let me know. Found in many homes across North America, they were robust and strong runners despite being inexpensive and plentiful. You might call them the Chevrolet of American clocks.

Of those, I have worked on, the one Achilles heel is the flimsy click design.

I did not have a Mission-style clock in my collection so, this is a long overdue acquisition. Items missing on this clock are the winding key, a #6, and a label which is normally affixed to the backboard. Hence I do not know the model’s name.

In the below photo, the minute hand is missing. I have it but it snapped in two when I attempted to set the time and it will need to be repaired.

The mainsprings were wound tight. Rather than let the springs down I ran the time side of the clock during the summer. The time side appeared to be fine, a small matter of putting it in beat but the strike side was erratic and struck either at will or incessantly. Something is amiss on the strike side and that means servicing is in order.

I noticed almost immediately that there is what looks like homemade bushing on the second wheel strike side much like a Rathburn bushing but obviously done by a home handyman. It likely works okay but I will remove it to see what issues I find.

Looking over the movement I can see that it has been serviced several times. The pillar nuts are chewed up and there are X marks besides most of the bushing holes and of course one or two bushings with punch marks. I also see a bit of soft solder on the movements in various places such as the third wheel strike side, and time side main wheel arbor which tells me that the repairs were not professional.

I will have a more detailed description of the movement when I dive deep into cleaning and repairing it in the days to come.

September 30, 2022

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