A curious little Blackforest shelf clock

RS shelf clock number 2 (6) — Black Forest Clock Company of Toronto, clock in as found condition

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 special meaning to someone at one time because it is a memento of the King George VI coronation of 1937 which nicely dates the clock. He became King George VI of England in December 1936 following the death of his father George V and the abdication of his brother. He had been a heavy smoker and in 1951 had his left lung removed then died suddenly in the winter of 1952. Elizabeth became queen later that year.

RS Refinished case (6) — Black Forest shelf clock after case restoration

RS Refinished case (7) — Another view of refinished case

This Blackforest shelf clock is only slightly larger than the first Blackforest clock I picked up last summer (2015) and like the other, is time-only.

RS shelf clock number 2 (4) — Company plate on rear of clock

The time-only movement is very simple in design. The pendulum rod, bob and pallets are one piece.

To adjust the beat rate you either rotate the bob left for slower rate or right to make the clock run faster or slower. Outside the back plate sits the mainspring which is housed in an open barrel and there are 5 gear wheels plus the escape wheel between two solid plates. This is an identical movement as found in my other Blackforest shelf clock but unlike this clock it was in very poor condition. The movement is German and could have been made by a number of companies at the time; Keinzle, Mauthe, Hermle or Junghans. There are no stamps or markings on this so-called “plate” movement to give any indication of the maker. Typically many Canadian companies such as the Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto (the Forestville Clock Company after the war) imported German movements before the Second World War and installed them in Canadian made cases.

RS shelf clock number 2 (2) — Plate clock movement

RS shelf clock number 2 (12) — Commemorative Edition – 1937 Coronation of King George VI

To refinish the case I cleaned it thoroughly using Murphy’s Soap, applied three coats of dark walnut stain taking care to wipe the stain with a cotton cloth 5-10 minutes after each application. My intent was to fill in the scratches and abrasions rather than radically alter the colour. I then rubbed the cabinet with 0000 steel wool between coats and applied two top coats of clear polyurethane satin finish. I cleaned the numerals but decided against repainting rather preserving the original patina, though I applied Brasso to bring back the finish on the key wind bushing. In the end the case is a little darker but likely closer to its original finish.

shelf clock number 2 (10) — Original winding key

I haven’t quite figured this out yet but I think the winding key has a “bottle opener” design to allow the pendulum to be locked during travel. Ideas?

This clock would make a great addition to a any bedroom. It is small enough for a dresser or even a side table, quiet enough (for a mechanical clock) and is still attractive in design after all these years. Heck, you can even wind the clock in the 6 o’clock position.

April 22, 2016

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 dial says, ” Made in the USA by Waterbury Clock Company”, Connecticut.

While the clock is a strong runner there are obvious issues concerning the paper dial and the lack of a brass bezel. The dial plate does not have to be changed out but the clock is in need of a brass bezel, hinge and convex glass. Although the style might be slightly different on a replacement bezel, it is clearly required to complete the look. I have decided to retain the paper dial as an exact replacement is impossible or so I have found so far in my research. Half of the paper dial has become unglued from the dial pan. Two-sided tape in three locations was the fix. I may touch up the numbers 7, 8, and 9. We`ll see.

RS Waterbury Octogon short drop (10) — Pendulum bob

The Waterbury Clock Company was incorporated in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut, on March 5, 1857. Up until the Great Depression Waterbury had been quite prosperous. But like so many companies, most of the profits lined the pockets of its Directors instead of being reinvested in new equipment and updated facilities thus hastening its rapid decline. In 1932 the company was bought and re-organized under the name Ingersoll-Waterbury.and in later years the company morphed into the Timex Corporation. If you peruse the Timex site today you will see a line of Timex watches called the Waterbury collection. Timex is certainly acknowledging a link to its past.

RS Waterbury Octogon short drop (8) — Instructions for the clock

The instructions came with the clock and I smiled when I read them. “The long hand is the minute hand and the short hand is the hour hand”.

A inexpensive acquisition and only a few dollars to add glass and a bezel to complete the clock.

February 14, 2016

Sessions Beveled Number 2 Re-assembly

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Refinished clock case

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 it looked like it had been kicking around in a basement or a busy street (LOL) for a number of years. After a thorough ultrasonic cleaning and polishing of the pivots it is time to re-assemble the movement.

It was very inexpensive clock and a great one to hone my skills in clock repair and case restoration. One of my tasks was to use it for bushing practice but my Bergeon bushing machine is back ordered and it does not look like it will arrive until April. I really do not want to learn how to hand bush, I will leave that to the traditionalists. The bushings are in good shape and I am confident it will run but eventually it will need bushing work.

The first challenge after dis-assembly was to clean the movement and the springs. When I first pulled it out of the case, the time spring had completely let go as a result of a click failure. You can see the retracted spring in the photo below. Click failures are a common problem with Sessions movements. In fact, I have another Sessions Westminster chime clock with the same issue.

I cleaned and lubricated both springs. Everything went well until I tried to hook one of the springs to the winding arbor. After many tries I managed to massage the spring around the arbor with needle-nosed pliers and it finally hooked. The other spring was fine. Let’s hope it stays put and lets hope my click repair is successful.

The next photo shows everything in place on the bottom plate. You will see some strange looking wires which appear to be added to the movement but they are actually helper wires installed at the time the clock was made, essential to allow retraction / movement of some of the levers.

Getting the top plate on can be frustrating without the proper tool. One such tool is a pivot locator. It is a hooked device about 8 inches long that allows one to position the pivots into the bushings with minimal fuss.

Here is the assembled movement with the springs clamped for safety. You will notice the top plate appears to be dirty. In fact, this is some kind of lacquer residue. I am not into aesthetics and have chosen not to buff out the plates. A repair shop might for appearance-sake. The important things is that the mechanism is clean, which, of course, it is.

As I have others things on the go I have not tested this movement yet though I checked the action of the time side and the count wheel and they seem to be moving without restriction.

The next phase is testing and if necessary, minor adjustments.

Maple Leaf case restoration Part 2

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 can finally say that the results have been very good…not excellent because there are one or two things I would have done differently. For example, I originally used a cotton cloth to bring down the finish and ended up rubbing too aggressively in some sections. Looking back I would use 0000 steel wool from start to finish.

This shot is a comparison between the original finish and taken after hours of restoration.

RS Pequegnat fan top (6) — Condition of clock when first brought home

RS fantop — After hours of rubbing and scrubbing

As you can see in the second photo the oak grain is natural and pronounced; the mottling has disappeared. As mentioned there were one or two spots where I was a little too aggressive with the steel wool which I may address later on but for the moment I am going to live with it.

I applied four coats of Amber Shellac and between coats I rubbed the finish with 0000 steel wool. Shellac is the proper approach for case restoration as that product would have been used at that time. The clock now looks very close to what it would have looked like at the time it was made which would be about 1910. The next photo shows the clock fully re-assembled and on display and the next, how it looked when I brought it home.

RS on display — Ready to be brought to the clock shop for repair

RS Pequegnat fan top (3) — Just brought home

Although I am able to dis-assemble, clean and oil a clock mechanism there is a problem with the center arbor not engaging the strike side of the clock. It is off to Doctor Clock in Halifax for repair and cleaning of the movement.

December 7, 2015

Ansonia Octagonal Short drop “schoolhouse” clock

Ansonia Schoolhouse ClockClock — Ansonia 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 of the 20th century though I cannot quite pin down the year. The number 12 is stamped on the movement which could refer to the year “1912”, or even the month of a year. The letters “TT” are also on the movement. This is my first Ansonia clock.

The gentleman I bought it from told me that this clock has been in his family for over 50 years and “I never saw it running”, he says. He was in the process of liquidating his mother’s estate and was loath to give it up as it had been a favorite of hers. He also said that it came out of a schoolhouse in Ontario, Canada; where, he did not know. The case is in great shape though there are other minor issues. One, the face has had some paint applied around the minute / hour pipe presumably to hide stains incurred from years of oily fingers winding and adjusting the clock.

You can just barely make out the Ansonia trademark. The second issue is a missing bushing for the hour hand.

The bushing inserts into the hour hand hole to friction fit with the hour pipe / cannon. I suspect that the clock was not running was for this very reason. Someone thought the clock was broken. It is an easy fix and requires buying or fashioning a new bushing.

Curiously, there were pieces of rotted elastic band on the pendulum rod just below the suspension spring. I have no clue why. You can still see a bit of it in this photo.

Otherwise except for a little adjusting (bending of the crutch to get the beat right} the clock works well and has been ticking away for a day now. There is very little wear on the clock and no obvious bushing issues that I can see although I will have to take the movement out of its case for a further inspection and a thorough cleaning to determine what if anything needs fixing.

Much has been written about the Ansonia clock company. The company history can be found here. The Ansonia Clock Company went into receivership just before the stock market crashed in 1929, a foretelling of things to come, perhaps. The machinery and dies were sold to a Russian Company. A sad end to a glorious American company.

Postscript: I took the movement out of it’s case and found that the clock does indeed need 2-3 new bushings. The wear is not terrible and the clock runs fairly well but bushing work is in order. Once the new hour and minute hands arrive I will clean the movement, re-assemble the clock and display it until my bushing machine comes in the new year.

Nov 10th; new hands arrive in the mail. The hour hand has the required bushing and was an easy friction fit. Now looks and runs as it should.

October 26, 2015

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 the escape wheel.

It is now stripped down again. No need to have as through a cleaning as the first go-around but now is the time to investigate other factors. It is a pretty simple clock as the photo shows.

What I see right away is the escape wheel teeth and how some are hooked or misshapened. My temptation is to file it down but others are suggesting that I use pliers to press the hooks back into shape. I have’t decided what to do just yet.

Others have suggested that I put more weight on the pendulum which I am reluctant to do since this clock was likely designed to run on a light bob.

Now back to further investigation.

Late note: I finally got this clock to work after taking it apart twice. The second time I concentrated on the pivots discovering the at least 2 had enough rust that them that they may have slowed the clock down. I also took a burr off the escape wheel but in the process damaged the escape wheel a little, so that while the clock runs there is a little clunking sound once with each rotation, but it works and keeps time! Live and learn.

September 12, 2015

Arthur Pequegnat Canadian Time wall clock

Clock face Arthur Pequegnat Canadian Time clock

The Canadian Time clock was produced by the Arthur Pequegnat Clock Company, which holds a special place in Canadian horological history. Founded in 1904, the company became the longest-lasting Canadian-based clock manufacturer, operating until 1941. Pequegnat clocks are known for their solid craftsmanship and distinctive designs, contributing significantly to the Canadian clock-making industry during the early 20th century.

Arthur Pequegnat, originally from Switzerland, brought his expertise in clockmaking to Canada, where he established a reputation for high-quality clocks. The company manufactured a wide range of clocks, from wall clocks to mantel clocks, many of which are now highly prized by collectors for their durability and unique aesthetic. Despite the challenges of competing with larger international clock manufacturers, Pequegnat’s attention to detail and commitment to quality ensured the company’s success for several decades.

Today, Pequegnat clocks are considered a piece of Canadian history, and the company’s legacy endures through the ongoing interest of collectors and enthusiasts, like myself, who appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of these antique clocks.

Pequegnat wall clock — _{Canadian Time clock by Arthur Pequegnat}

This particular clock was made after 1916 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Clocks made before 1917 were marked “Berlin” on the dial face. The town was known as Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and became the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. Due to the negative association with Germany during the First World War, the decision was made to change the name to Kitchener midway through the war. Today, Kitchener serves as the seat of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario.

Unfortunately, the exact year my clock was manufactured is unknown as Pequegnat did not date-stamp their movements, but the Canadian Time series was produced up until 1941. By that year, the demand for brass from World War II armament makers, a crucial material for clock movements, forced the Arthur Pequegnat company to halt production. If the clock was made as late as 1941, it would be 72 years old.

This clock features Arabic numerals, which was less common since most were ordered with Roman numerals. As a railway clock, the use of Arabic numbers would have made it easier to read for the general public in a train station. The manufacturer allowed customers to choose between Arabic or Roman numerals when ordering. Additionally, buyers could also opt for a version of this clock with time, strike, and calendar functions.

The crossed horseshoes on the base of a clock are often associated with good luck and protection. In many cultures, horseshoes are considered symbols of good fortune, particularly when they are displayed with the open end facing upward, which is thought to catch and hold luck. I have not seen another Canadian Time clock with crossed horseshoes.

I’m hoping to track down a photo of the clock from its time at the Pictou, Nova Scotia train station before it was decommissioned in the early 1990s, as that could really help narrow down the clock’s manufacturing date.

The clock itself is quite large, measuring 37 inches high, 5 inches deep, and 15 inches wide. It’s made of quarter-sawn oak, which results in boards with annual rings mostly perpendicular to the face, providing greater stability and minimizing warping.

The Canadian Time clock is a reliable timepiece, showcasing the quality and craftsmanship that went into its creation.

September 10, 2015

Blackforest shelf / kitchen / cottage clock

RS together but not working (2) — Finished case

This is a Blackforest shelf or kitchen clock made before the Second Word War. Blackforest is a Canadian clock company. The Blackforest Clock Company of Toronto, Ontario was founded by Leopold and Sara Stossel in 1928. Both clock movements and complete clocks were imported from Germany and sold through department and jewelry stores across Canada. Their son Ed Stossel started working part time with his parents’ company in the 1930s, and later became a full-time employee in the late 1940s.

Some assembly work was carried out in their Wellington Street East factory. Initially, imported mantel clock and grandfather clock movements were installed in cases made in Kitchener, but later the complete mantel clocks were imported from Germany. This arrangement was interrupted by the Second World War, which also led to a name change to the Forestville Clock Company in 1941. During the war years this company imported its clock movements from England, the United States, and even France. However, starting in the mid nineteen fifties German factories again became the source of most Forestville clocks, with Mauthe being a major supplier. The company did not survive much past the late 1970s.

I found this in a antique shop in Kazabazua Quebec and it was in sad shape. This particular clock would have been the least expensive in the Blackforest catalog. I had an opportunity to go through the Blackforest catalog during my visit to the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River this past summer and could not find a listing. I have no idea of the model name or number as there is no label on the clock. The only feature it shares with other Blackforest mantel clocks is the metal bezel, numerals and hands. Otherwise it is a one train time-only movement with a minimum number of gears and a unique twisting pendulum adjustment. The movement is as simple as it gets so it is easy to work on.

The photo shows the movement out of the clock and as you can see, it is quite dirty. I am in the midst of dis-assembly, cleaning (in my new Ultrasonic cleaner) and oiling. My initial observation is that the pivot holes, pivots and lantern gears are in good shape and the mainspring seems strong. Not a lot of wear for a 75+ year old clock.

RS Blackforest mantel clock (66) — Single train time-only movement

The next photos show the condition of the case when I bought it and the second is the first phase of stripping. You will notice that I did not disturb the decal; it would have been impossible to find a replacement. It was in terrible condition, likely sitting in a attic or garage for quite a few years. The spring was wound very tight and I am assuming at this point that dirt and grime caused it to cease. Although I paid $15 for it at the time it seemed too much after I got it home. Nonetheless, I went to work on it and if I can get it to function it might be worth more than I paid for it. As far as restoring this clock I used a latex dark walnut wood satin and a polyurethane top coat, not what would have been done at the time which likely would have been a dark lacquer finish. This method will be more durable. The first photo shows the case is in a restored condition and as you can seeing it is a striking little clock.

September 1, 2015

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