Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Got this as part of a job lot, probably cost me about 30 pence at the most. 

First question, quality, good, bad or indifferent? 

Second, I want to get it running. Do I need to strip it down or can I try something easier to start with. 

Haven't done a clock before, so plenty more questions to follow. 

20220606_091147.jpg

20220606_091123.jpg

Posted (edited)
33 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Got this as part of a job lot, probably cost me about 30 pence at the most. 

First question, quality, good, bad or indifferent? 

Second, I want to get it running. Do I need to strip it down or can I try something easier to start with. 

Haven't done a clock before, so plenty more questions to follow. 

20220606_091147.jpg

20220606_091123.jpg

30 pence ! Mate you were robbed you could have bought a mini packet of Haribo for that and had a squeaky voice for half an hour 😄 miles more entertainment.

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

30 pence ! Mate you were robbed you could have bought a mini packet of Haribo for that and had a squeaky voice for half an hour 😄 miles more entertainment.

Lol sorry matey couldn't resist that one. Its German so i would hazard a guess that its ok and will keep you busy for a while. A very long while if it isn't all there . I definitely  cant help you with this, i have no idea about clocks but intend to have a go at a napoleon Westminster chime i have on my mantle piece. It talks to me when its quiet, it says fix me, fix me please kind sir. 🥴

Edited by Neverenoughwatches
Time to take my pills one thinks
Posted
2 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

30 pence ! Mate you were robbed you could have bought a mini packet of Haribo for that and had a squeaky voice for half an hour 😄 miles more entertainment.

Since I have used three of the crystals, it was probably less than 10 pence.  So there.😛

Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Since I have used three of the crystals, it was probably less than 10 pence.  So there.😛

Fine a partially deflated secondhand  helium balloon then, still a squeaky voice but only for 1 minute.  Touchè 🤪 . Can we get back to watches now or clocks or anything normal really. 🙂

Edited by Neverenoughwatches
Posted
3 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Fine a partially deflated secondhand  helium balloon then, still a squeaky voice but only for 1 minute.  Touchè 

I'm not tonking on anyone's seconds hand balloon.  I have standards, very low standards maybe but standards all the same. 

  • Haha 1
Posted
5 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I'm not tonking on anyone's seconds hand balloon.  I have standards, very low standards maybe but standards all the same. 

Lol. Tonked plenty in my time , but my meaning of tonking is waayyyyyy different from your meaning of tonking 🤣. I think our discussion is taking a wrong turn imho, i can sense a time out coming 😉 .

Posted
2 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Lol. Tonked plenty in my time , but my meaning of tonking is waayyyyyy different from your meaning of tonking 🤣. I think our discussion is taking a wrong turn imho, i can sense a time out coming 😉 .

Definitely 

Posted
3 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Definitely 

Did you get the file download issue sorted ? You were working on a junghans. I would be interested as i have one to getting working, amongst about 60 others and 15 or so pockets .

Posted

Its low quality. It will need a complete overhaul. These clocks are very temperamental. If you have never done any clock work, this is the worst type of clock to start with. I can help you with it. For starters you are going to need a clock mainspring winder and this book   Charles Terwilliger Horolovar 400 Day Clock Repair Guide

  • Like 1
Posted
Just now, Neverenoughwatches said:

Did you get the file download issue sorted ? You were working on a junghans. I would be interested as i have one to getting working, amongst about 60 others and 15 or so pockets .

I'm stuck on a piece of pants swiss at mo that just wont run dial up. Ive been meaning to check the top pivot then i can move on with something else. Procrastinating for six days .

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Its low quality. It will need a complete overhaul. These clocks are very temperamental. If you have never done any clock work, this is the worst type of clock to start with. I can help you with it. For starters you are going to need a clock mainspring winder and this book   Charles Terwilliger Horolovar 400 Day Clock Repair Guide

What is good OH ? I have a very run of the mill Smith's westminster chime to tackle. It doesnt have enough power to run with the pendulum on. Hope it is just a clean and oil but i think ive buggered up the chime as well. 

Posted
29 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Fine a partially deflated secondhand  helium balloon then, still a squeaky voice but only for 1 minute.  Touchè 

 

5 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Its low quality. It will need a complete overhaul. These clocks are very temperamental. If you have never done any clock work, this is the worst type of clock to start with. I can help you with it. For starters you are going to need a clock mainspring winder and this book   Charles Terwilliger Horolovar 400 Day Clock Repair Guide

Typical, I bought it because I like the fact that you can see the movement.  I could of chosen any, including the fancy one you like.  Anyway I'm having a go. Are clock mainspring winders as ridiculously expensive as watch mainspring winders? 

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I'm stuck on a piece of pants swiss at mo that just wont run dial up. Ive been meaning to check the top pivot then i can move on with something else. Procrastinating for six days .

Yes, look at my post on clicks.

  • Like 1
Posted
3 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Are clock mainspring winders as ridiculously expensive as watch mainspring winders? 

Yes they are and they are hard to come by. But the good news is once you get a complete set of containment rings, you can work on most clocks. Well maybe not Big Ben.

Have a look at Cousins website 

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/mainspring-winder-ollie-baker-style

In addition to the winder, you'll need a set of let down tools and a beat adjuster.

Your clock might be missing the lower suspension block. But Cousins should have spares for that. 

A 400 day clock is deceptively simply but a real pain to get it going. It's probably the 2nd worst clock for a beginner. 

  • Like 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Yes they are and they are hard to come by. But the good news is once you get a complete set of containment rings, you can work on most clocks. Well maybe not Big Ben.

Have a look at Cousins website 

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/mainspring-winder-ollie-baker-style

In addition to the winder, you'll need a set of let down tools and a beat adjuster.

Your clock might be missing the lower suspension block. But Cousins should have spares for that. 

A 400 day clock is deceptively simply but a real pain to get it going. It's probably the 2nd worst clock for a beginner. 

The problem is, I won't be working on more clocks, just that one.  I  thought it would be easy, oh fool me.

Posted
1 minute ago, RichardHarris123 said:

The problem is, I won't be working on more clocks, just that one.  I  thought it would be easy, oh fool me.

Haha. Don't kid yourself. Once you get hooked, you're never going to stop.

Posted
1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I don't have the room for clocks, that's why I'm doing watches.  

I wonder how @oldhippy keeps all his clocks. He recently got another 4 clocks. And he keeps cats too!

When I had a stray cat that came to visit my mum every afternoon, she (the cat) would crawl behind my shelves and knock things off. 

  • Haha 1
Posted
11 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

What is good OH ? I have a very run of the mill Smith's westminster chime to tackle. It doesnt have enough power to run with the pendulum on. Hope it is just a clean and oil but i think ive buggered up the chime as well. 

Most chiming movements need cleaning and re bushing due to wear. Sometimes springs need replacing and always if it has a pendulum replace the suspension spring. 

7 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

The problem is, I won't be working on more clocks, just that one.  I  thought it would be easy, oh fool me.

In order to properly service any clock that has its springs in barrels it is a must to have a mainspring winder. The only other way is to remove the spring in what way you can and replace the spring with a new one. Mainspring winders remove springs in such a way that the spring is never distorted. Springs out of shape can and do damage the barrel and will cause the power to be irregular which causes the clock to keep poor time. The strike and chime springs will cause the strike and chime to work in a poor manner.  

  • Thanks 1
Posted (edited)

O.K., they should have been writing „assembled manually in high perfection“, right?

„PI“ indicates the movement P 400. The plates should be 54mm x 44mm x 1,3mm.

84B6E00B-0A68-4547-82D2-D17E94D5FB23.thumb.jpeg.7e219ce36dbb28b66515cd955b5ec0bd.jpeg

 

DC498678-1447-4823-99A9-94E321CAF699.thumb.jpeg.90ce7de608f715fa176128d0ba4ecb39.jpeg

Edited by Kalanag
  • Thanks 1
Posted (edited)

As OH states 400 day clocks are temperamental and will not run for a duration without every part being spot on..Example if the suspension spring has the slightest kink it will not run and if the spring is slightly under or over strength you will run out of adjustment. To summarise if you are not prepared to strip, clean and inspect every part you will spend hours fiddling and adjusting without success.  
PS I have moved this post to the Clock section. 

Edited by clockboy
Posted
10 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

The problem is, I won't be working on more clocks, just that one.  I  thought it would be easy, oh fool me.

 

10 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Haha. Don't kid yourself. Once you get hooked, you're never going to stop.

I said the same about pocket watches. Now look where i am with them 

10 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I don't have the room for clocks, that's why I'm doing watches.  

Mancave Rich mancave. Need i say anymore ?

Posted

To Attempt to repair 400 day clocks is hard enough but bwithout twerwilligers book, beat setting tool, and knowledge a waste of time as theyare as mentioned tempremental and will not run unless dead level.  They are not the type of clock you fiddle with you either get stuck in and repair the thing which may take days /months to get it working correctly.  On the face of it the mechanisms are simple single train, what can go wrong ? try one snd find out. I have several of these guys and love working on them.  The last one was a Bentima broken spring (the usual problem).  They were factory produced in Germany not overly expensive unless you pock up a Gustav becker (disc Pendulum job).  all the best and gook luck if you attrmpt the repair.

  • Thanks 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Where I work everything incoming watches whatever detailed descriptions are taken entered into a computer program and photograph of each item. Then ideally although it depends on who's doing the paperwork detailed descriptions can be quite good other times there lacking. Like I really like it with pocket watches if they would record the serial number it avoids confusion later on. Then when watch repairs are completed that is also entered in. It's one of the amusements I learned when I was in school instructor had a shop and commented about the important aspect of keeping detailed records of repairs. Because oftentimes a customer who got a new crystal will come back later on when the watch doesn't work and expect you to fix the entire watch for free. Then you can remind them that they just got a crystal. Strangely enough that keeps coming up or occasionally comes up where I work now. One of the problems of using the service marks on the case is that in the case of pocket watches oftentimes that's not the original case. Then case marks? What I was doing warranty work for a company I used to describe a code number in the back of the case and it would tell me the next time I see the watch that basically what I did I made no attempt at keeping track of customers because we had literally thousands of them I think they sold 30,000 of these watches and they would come back by the hundreds because they had a lifetime warranty. Yes that's a story all of itself but I would put a code number that would reference what was done to the watch the last time and think I had a date in there somehow so it did tell a story if you knew the code. Another shop I once worked out the number would reference the page in the book. So other than knowing we had been in there you would have no idea what happened because you have to go look at the page in the book to see what happened. Then the problem of how you examine a watch you should examine the watch in detail every single time to avoid complications. Although on vintage watches and this is a of amusement I have at work when people ask something and I say of the watches done when it leaves. This is because on vintage oftentimes problems won't show up until the watches much farther into the repair like it's now running and you discover things that you can't discover before because it wasn't running to discover them that also become sometimes difficult to have exact rigid prices are estimates of repairs or in the case of a pocket watch you may not find out if a casing problem to later on when you case it up in the watches running. I was just thinking for all those people that would like to leave a mark maybe you should learn to do what some of the past watchmakers did? Leave a mark but leave it in such a way that no one will ever find it? Typically not done for repair purposes but done for other reasons like identifying it's legit. I have a friend with a Gruen watch and one of the Roman numbers the bottom line that just looks like a line under extreme magnification actually says Gruen watch company or something equivalent. So here's a link showing how to mark your watch without being seen although that's not the actual title. So if you can learn micro engraving you can engrave the watch someplace probably just about any place you just have to remember where you put it. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/how-to-prove-if-watches-are-authentic-secret-signatures-182516  
    • I have acquired a Citizen Leopard 36000 watch. My reason for purchasing it was my desire to own a timepiece with a 36,000 BPH movement, and the price was reasonable. Another motivating factor was gaining hands-on experience with the mechanism. The watch is in good condition, but I intend to fully disassemble it for maintenance. First and foremost, if anyone has prior experience with this particular model, I would greatly appreciate their insights. I do not have access to Citizen’s specialized lubricants and will need to use the ones available to me, such as 9010, 8000, and 8300 grease. Additionally, I do not possess the appropriate oil for the pallet jewels and will only be able to clean them.
    • Hello all, I am working on an older Valjoux Chrono. It doesn't have a stamp on the movement anywhere but I believe it is a Valjoux 72. I installed the train of wheels and they will not turn. The problem appears to be the 4th wheel and the escape wheel are not interfacing correctly. I had to replace both of these parts as the pivots were broken on each. I sourced genuine Valjoux/ETA replacements. I think the problem is with the escape wheel as all the wheels turn perfectly if I remove just the escape wheel.  My question to those with more Valjoux experience is am I mistaken? Is this some other model altogether and I have the wrong part or parts?    
    • I would remove the wheels, check for damage and if not damaged, clean. 
    • Thanks for the replies! Here's a photo of the front of the clock and a GIF animation of the movement (exposed by removing the black cap in the centre of the clock). You can see the behaviour of the gears. It's a fairly valuable clock from the 80s (Braun ABW 35). I'm not sure if replacing the movement would diminish the value, so I'd prefer to keep the original parts if it's easy to fix. But since the movement itself is pretty generic, I guess, maybe replacing it wouldn't make any difference with regard to the value of the clock? Or would it? I suppose the value is mostly in the design.
×
×
  • Create New...