Seth Thomas #2 has stopped – cleaning and bushing work should put it right

Perhaps recognizable as one of the most common regulator clocks in America, the Seth Thomas Regulator #2 was found in many railway stations, offices. libraries and other public places across America during the last century, a testament to its accuracy and dependability. It is a robust, accurate, well-engineered, and dependable timepiece that was made by … More Seth Thomas #2 has stopped – cleaning and bushing work should put it right

Ansonia Extra Drop wall clock – moving ahead with repairs

The photos tell the story Some time ago I wrote an article on an Ansonia barn find. It is an Ansonia Extra Drop time-only Rosewood veneered wall clock, circa 1880. I thought I would update readers on how this little project is progressing. I was able to find most of the parts but there are … More Ansonia Extra Drop wall clock – moving ahead with repairs

Mercedes clock – not made by the car folks

Mercedes makes a great car. Do they make clocks? No! Is this Mercedes novelty timepiece a great clock? Read on. This very attractive 30-hour Mercedes ceramic mechanical shelf clock of the Baroque Meissen style (debatable) from the 1970s is more of a novelty item than a clock. It is a time-only alarm clock movement made … More Mercedes clock – not made by the car folks

Doesn’t all that ticking drive you crazy?

No! As a clock collector I have quite a few clocks in my home. Most are running daily. There are 34 clocks ticking away in my home as I write this blog article. I have accepted them as normal sounds in my home Some collectors have a dedicated clock room in their home but mine … More Doesn’t all that ticking drive you crazy?

Timezone clocks – keeping track of family across the country

  It this day and age it is very common to have family scattered to the four winds. What time is it is such and such? Why not create timezone clocks? I live in Canada and I have one daughter in Calgary, Alberta, one of our mid-western provinces and one in Victoria, BC, on the … More Timezone clocks – keeping track of family across the country

Jauch Drop Octagon – one problem I cannot address…..yet!

We often cruise the HiBid sites. While they may be wholly Canadian I am sure there are similar sites in the US. HiBid are a hosting service for antique online auction companies and from time to time clocks come up on estate sales. One day in early February 2017 we were on a Nova Scotia … More Jauch Drop Octagon – one problem I cannot address…..yet!

Ingraham Nordic Banjo Clock

I did not have a banjo clock in my collection and my latest acquisition is certainly a banjo styled clock but not in the tradition of a true weight-driven American banjo clock which continues to allude me. There is no scarcity of spring driven recoil escapement (lever escapement) banjo clocks. This particular clock has a … More Ingraham Nordic Banjo Clock

German “schoolhouse clock” by Gebruder Jauch?

The Germans would not have called them schoolhouse clocks, rather, short drop octagon wall clocks. The term “schoolhouse clock” is typically an American description. The stylistic features of the Jauch reminds me of my Canadian made Arthur Pequegnat Brandon II wall clock We often cruise the HiBid sites. I am not sure if they are … More German “schoolhouse clock” by Gebruder Jauch?

The schoolhouse clock that was never called the schoolhouse clock

My recent acquisition of another schoolhouse clock stimulated my curiosity and prompted me to do some research on the origin of the name. In this article I will describe my thoughts on how the schoolhouse clock came to be and my most recent Sessions wall clock purchase. During my research I found it very interesting … More The schoolhouse clock that was never called the schoolhouse clock

Stubborn little plate clock movement

I prefer time-only clocks above anything else. They are simple to work on and because they are less complex they tend to be more accurate, relatively speaking. Most are easy to service but this little guy has me stumped. Thousands of these relatively small German movements were made and some found their way into small … More Stubborn little plate clock movement

One weight Vienna Regulator miniature

My quest for a one-weight Vienna Regulator ended this past week and I am now in possession of a miniature rather than a traditional antique Vienna wall clock. Here are first impressions back in 2016. This attractive unmarked Vienna Regulator one-weight (time-only) clock is 34 inches long 4.75 inches deep and 11 inches at it’s … More One weight Vienna Regulator miniature

Searching for a donor movement pays 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

A curious little Blackforest shelf clock

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

Waterbury “Arion” Small Octagon Short Drop wall clock

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

Ansonia Octagonal Short drop “schoolhouse” clock

I have been thinking of expanding my collection of wall clocks lately after acquiring a good sampling of mantle and shelf clocks. I picked up this clock not far from where I live. It is an Ansonia octagonal short drop commonly known as a schoolhouse clock. I am putting the date of manufacture at around the turn … More Ansonia Octagonal Short drop “schoolhouse” clock

Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

I have dis-assembled this clock twice. After the first dis-assembly I cleaned and oiled it, found everything to be in order but once I assembled it, bench-tested it to find everything seemingly correct and set the beat  it would not run more that 5 to 10 minutes at a time. When it stopped it seemed to catch on … More Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress

If you are following this blog this is the same clock as the previous post. Since the movement was very dirty, I cleaned it up (ultrasonic cleaner) when all apart and reassembled and oiled it. It is a one-train movement, so not many gear wheels and pretty easy to work on. You can see by the … More Blackforest Shelf Clock Progress