An Interesting Old Clock

[clockboy]

It might be the chime/repeater was removed as a request such as the Downing Street clocks which had all of there chimes removed

[oldhippy]

It might be the chime/repeater was removed as a request such as the Downing Street clocks which had all of there chimes removed

I think your right. I've just had a look at Dave's clock and you can see the two small screws and the plate where the repeat press knob fits in.

[Davey57]

I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow for you chaps. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Davey57]

Here are a few photographs of the clock from a few different angles. I hope they are of some help and show what you need to see.

Thanks

 

[oldhippy]

I can definitely confirm that your clock is Swiss and it's a quarter repeater. Unfortunately nearly all the  mechanism behind the dial for the strike/repeat is missing apart from one of the lever springs, all that is left between the plates is under the small plate held together by two screws which is the barrel.  The back plate is silvered and it's got many nasty deep scratches on it. Now the really bad news if this had been complete and in working order it would at auction fetch between £2,000 - £2,500 but as it stands you would be lucky for it to fetch £200  

 

I would just like to add thank you for taking your time in posting the pictures for me and others that have been following the interest in your clock.

[Davey57]

It was no problem at all posting the pictures and it is me who should be thanking all of you for the interest and time taken to respond.  I see it as a two way thing, I am learning here and am grateful that people are prepared to share their knowledge and experience with a rank amateur, actually I doubt I am even that.

Anyway, I will tell the owner what I have learned about his clock and I know he will be as interested as I am. To be honest I reckon he will be chuffed to learn that it is worth anything at all. It is a family piece so I doubt he would have considered selling it even at the higher valuation had it been in top condition. Would it be possible to estimate a date for the clock?

Thanks again.

 

I will let you all know when I hear from Roy about the repair.

[oldhippy]

It's around the 1890's the same as the one clockboy found. If it's a family piece you never know he just might have the parts somewhere.

[clockboy]

I agree it would be nice if the bits that have been removed were still available. Without doubt they would have been removed on request.

[Davey57]

Just spoken to my friend who owns the clock. He was very interested to hear the information you have provided. Sadly there is no hope that the missing parts are still around.

Did people get fed up with the chimes and ask for them to be removed? Seems rather unkind. I love the sound of a clock chiming. Surely there must have been a way to switch them off?

[oldhippy]

Just spoken to my friend who owns the clock. He was very interested to hear the information you have provided. Sadly there is no hope that the missing parts are still around.

Did people get fed up with the chimes and ask for them to be removed? Seems rather unkind. I love the sound of a clock chiming. Surely there must have been a way to switch them off?

With some clocks they are fitted with a silent wheel so from say 10pm until 7am the clock will not strike or chime. Some are fitted with a small hand on a subsidiary dial which you just turn, I have known Longcase clocks where someone has put a plaster over the hammer so the bell isn't so load when striking, I've seen some where the hammer has been bent in such a way that it's so far from the bell that it never hits the bell, or they unscrew the bell, the most common with Longcase clocks is if it's an 8 day where you have two weights they leave the weight for the striking side off. You would be surprised what some people will do in order to get a good night's sleep.

[clockboy]

Just spoken to my friend who owns the clock. He was very interested to hear the information you have provided. Sadly there is no hope that the missing parts are still around.

Did people get fed up with the chimes and ask for them to be removed? Seems rather unkind. I love the sound of a clock chiming. Surely there must have been a way to switch them off?

It depends on the environment it is in. I think it was Churchill had the clocks in Downing Street silenced because they do tend to chime away at the most inappropriate time. I serviced & repaired a nice Westminster chimer for my neighbour she loved it for a few weeks but now never re-winds the striking side because of the above.

[oldhippy]

A few notes about this clock. I expect it to be a gentleman's travel clock as its quite plain unlike the type for Ladies. This clock would have been expensive so it would belong to a family who had wealth, don't forget back in the late Victorian times you had no such thing as benefits, you ether had money or you didn't and a family that were poor certainly didn't have the funds to waste it on a clock. Ask your friend if they know anything about their ancestors and see if they know anything.

[Davey57]

Well I got the platform back from Roy yesterday. I knew you would all be interested to see it so I have taken some pictures of it prior to refitting it to the clock.

When I spoke to Roy on the phone I asked him if he would mind telling me exactly how he carried out the repair. What he said was that the lower jewel was fairly well set into it's bridge, so he re-jeweled it, a little higher up I assume, and this allowed him to re-pivot the broken end so that it all worked out nicely. The pictures might make it a little clearer to understand. I hope the pictures are of good enough quality to make it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am happy to report that I have fitted the platform this morning and it is ticking away on my desk as I write.  I did shoot a 20 sec video for your enjoyment but for some reason I cannot export it from Lightroom. It is a mov file, not sure what format would be best?  I will have a play around and try to upload it somehow.

Just a quick question. I do not have a key to wind it up so I just gave it a couple of gentle twists with some small pliers to get it going. The spring feels really strong and I certainly do not want to risk causing any damage. About how many turns with a key would be safe enough?  I would say that I gave the square drive about one to two full turns with my pliers and it has been running for about 8 hours.

I need to refit the hands and put it back in the case. Before I do that I might have to gently try and ease out the top of the case that has received a bad knock sometime and pushed it in. It must have broken the fixing for the little handle on the top as I can see where it has been re-soldered. The inside of the case was mighty close to the top of the balance bridge when I took it out, it might actually have been touching I can't remember now.

 

 

 

 

 

[Davey57]

Not sure if this is going to work or not.

 

 

 

P8020004.MOV

 

 

Sorry, it takes a little while to load but seems to work ok.

Edited August 2, 2015 by Davey57

[oldhippy]

Hello Davey57,

I've just downloaded your link and it works well. The action of the balance is very good with just a small amount of power. Please use the correct fitting key. I understand what Roy has done and no one would know unless they were to take the escape wheel out then you would see the shorter pinion, what he has done is quite common and keeps the cost down. As this is a travel clock it should work in all positions even upside down, so if you haven't done so far I would test it, you don't need to do it for hours just minutes, watch the contrite wheel against the escape wheel for any problems with depth and you might need to adjust accordingly.

[clockboy]

Well I got the platform back from Roy yesterday. I knew you would all be interested to see it so I have taken some pictures of it prior to refitting it to the clock.

When I spoke to Roy on the phone I asked him if he would mind telling me exactly how he carried out the repair. What he said was that the lower jewel was fairly well set into it's bridge, so he re-jeweled it, a little higher up I assume, and this allowed him to re-pivot the broken end so that it all worked out nicely. The pictures might make it a little clearer to understand. I hope the pictures are of good enough quality to make it out.

untitled-1.jpg

untitled-2.jpg

untitled-3.jpg

untitled-4.jpg

untitled-5.jpg

I am happy to report that I have fitted the platform this morning and it is ticking away on my desk as I write. I did shoot a 20 sec video for your enjoyment but for some reason I cannot export it from Lightroom. It is a mov file, not sure what format would be best? I will have a play around and try to upload it somehow.

Just a quick question. I do not have a key to wind it up so I just gave it a couple of gentle twists with some small pliers to get it going. The spring feels really strong and I certainly do not want to risk causing any damage. About how many turns with a key would be safe enough? I would say that I gave the square drive about one to two full turns with my pliers and it has been running for about 8 hours.

I need to refit the hands and put it back in the case. Before I do that I might have to gently try and ease out the top of the case that has received a bad knock sometime and pushed it in. It must have broken the fixing for the little handle on the top as I can see where it has been re-soldered. The inside of the case was mighty close to the top of the balance bridge when I took it out, it might actually have been touching I can't remember now.

[clockboy]

Good to here it's now up & running. Can not look at vid just yet as in a part of Italy where the Internet is steam driven .

[Davey57]

Hello Davey57,

I've just downloaded your link and it works well. The action of the balance is very good with just a small amount of power. Please use the correct fitting key. I understand what Roy has done and no one would know unless they were to take the escape wheel out then you would see the shorter pinion, what he has done is quite common and keeps the cost down. As this is a travel clock it should work in all positions even upside down, so if you haven't done so far I would test it, you don't need to do it for hours just minutes, watch the contrite wheel against the escape wheel for any problems with depth and you might need to adjust accordingly.

 

I have tried what you say and put the clock in all positions, it was fine and kept going. I am going to fit the hands and check to see if it keeps time.

[oldhippy]

I have tried what you say and put the clock in all positions, it was fine and kept going. I am going to fit the hands and check to see if it keeps time.

The regulator is in the middle of the scale so you have a big scope in which to get the timing right, I don't think you will have trouble in that part. I have seen one of the small screws missing which holds the hair spring in place on the balance cock, has it been lost or broken off, it would be nice if you had one to fit. Still it's not going to make any difference to the working of the clock providing it is firm and prevents the hairspring from moving.

[Davey57]

Well, it's keeping really good time so far. Lost about a minute overnight. Sadly I don't know where the screw is that you mention and I don't have a spare but, I checked the other one and it is tight. I have put it back in it's case and I suppose I will reluctantly have to give it back to it's rightful owner. I wish it belonged to me as I am quite taken with it, it is a lovely little clock.  Here are a couple of final pictures of it complete and ready to go home.

 

 

 

Thanks very much to everyone for their help, advice and comments without which I doubt I would have got very far.

 

I am quite fired up now and might have a look and see if I can find  a little clock for myself as a project.

[oldhippy]

Thank you davey57 for sharing this lovely clock and with such good pictures. I hope I've been helpful to you. I know what its like to part with a clock that you have worked on.