"The Clock Fixer"

The history of Zandam clocks is rooted in the Zaan region of the Netherlands, near Amsterdam.  Zandam clocks were produced between 1680 and 1730.   Reproduction of these clocks were produced by the Warmink Company in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  The most famous display of Zandam/Dutch clocks is located at The Musum of Zaanse Tijd in Zaanse Schans, Netherlands.  This museum has the largest collection of original Dutch clocks and tools.  This region is famous for clock making.  

 Adjusting the mechanism on a time and strike movement To set the alarm, rotate the set disk clockwise only . The disk will turn counter clockwise but the release lever will get bent and be out of adjustment if it is forced past the notch in the cam. There is a misconception that the numbers on the alarm disk corresponds to the numbers on the dial.   The reality is that those numbers on the dial are to tell how long to wait before the alarm is sounded. Unlike the modern alarm clocks once the alarm goes off, you cannot turn it off until the alarm spring is completely unwound.   Another anti-feature is that there is no snooze alarm. The adjustment is very simple: 1)    The disk numbers indicate how many hours will the clock run before the alarm is activated. 2)   The adjustment position is set at the 12:00 O'clock position.   3)  If the alarm is set to go off in 2 hours, set the disk position at the 12 o’clock position to 2 as seen i...

 In for repair is a FMS (Fredrich Mauthe Schwenningen) German wall clock.  This is a time & strike "Free Swinger" which means the pendulum is outside the case and not contained in wood and glass. The stamp on the backside of the movement and with a little research found the maker.  For more information about the "Guy" click this link for a brief history.  For more information about the company, this link  .   The movement was removed from the case.   The next two pictures show the condition of the back & front. Back Front It is easy to see the old dirty oil.  Movement wear cannot be observed until the mainsprings are relaxed.  Once the springs are relaxed, it is easy to see which pivot holes are worn and need rebuilding.  A video of the pivot wear can be seen by clicking the image below. (apologize for the blurry image). The video shows 5 worn pivot holes that were worn out.  There were 4 holes on the front side that a...

In for repair is a very nice carriage clock.  A carriage clock is a small, spring-driven clock, developed in the early 19th century in France.  Who invented the Carriage Clock?  Abraham-Louis Breguet, a renowned horologist.  In 1812.  He made this clock for Emperor Napoleon. This clock was made about 1880.   It is important to inspect these clocks carefully.  If the balance has been damaged or incorrectly repaired, repair success could be in question.  This clock seemed to be complete.  A quick shake of the balance wheel showed that the balance staffs were in OK condition.  Another check on this clock was to see if the clock was fully wound.  If the mainspring was unwound would indicate the mechanism could be in running condition.  The mainspring was unwound.  Although, there was no pressure on the spring.  The first thought was the mainspring was broken.  Upon further evaluation there was much more. Click ...

This post demonstrates what could happen when a mainspring breaks.  The clock in question is a standard American time & strike clock movement.  When a mainspring breaks at the tip where the spring attaches to the mainspring barrel, that can be repaired.  If the mainspring breaks in the middle (like our example) or where it attaches to the mainspring arbor, the spring needs to be replaced. The image below shows the broken mainspring in the middle of the spring.  Note the remaining spring is still attached to the mainspring arbor. This image shows damage to the 2nd wheel arbor.  Luckily only this arbor was damaged.  Pinions and/or trundles can also be damaged.  In our case here only the 2nd wheel arbor too the brunt of the breakage. Usually the bend is primarily located right next to the lantern pinion.  The repair this the wheel was chucked into a lathe close to the pinion.  The arbor was gently tapped and checked until the arbor bent back...

 In for repair is a Gilbert time & strike wall clock.  The age is from the 1940's.  It was purchased in 2005.  Overhauled in January 2024. The case and face is vintage 1940's with cut glass and a very nice full gong sound. The image below is an example of a very  dirty clock.   This image was taken before any work performed.   Upon further examination, there were 12 pivot holes that needed rebuilding.  This image shows the plates and what pivot holes needed bushings .  Inspected all the pivot holes and found very few that needed polishing.  Given the significant wear in the pivot holes, I suspected more pivots needed attention. The canon pinion had globs of old oil between it and the minute arbor.  Definately needed cleaning.  Follow this link to see a short video of the significant wear in the pivot holes. This next image is all the wheels seperated by train.  Strike on the left, time on the right and the m...

 In for repair is a Seth Thomas number 120 mantle clock movement.  Only the movement was given.  There was no pendulum bob.  The work begins......... The image below shows the front plate before any work has been completed.  The mainspring power would be let down and wheels rotated to see how much wear is present in each wheel.  See below for a short video demonstrating the wear. Back plate Front plate partially disassembled.  Mainspring plate and wheels removed along with the front motion works and levers removed.  As you can see the worn pivots holes were marked.  There were 5 pivot holes on the front plate that needed rebuilding and 7 holes on the back.  12 in total. Back plate marked.  Click this image below to display a short video of the pivot hole wear This image shows the front plate removed and the location of all the wheels. The video below demonstrates a clock wheel after the pivot was polished and the pivot hole was rebu...