This page presents some examples of our work and the clocks we have repaired. Jump down to the clock gallery or the clock tips.

Clock Repair Gallery

Arbor Maintenance/Repair

This clock did not strike because some parts had suffered the ravages of time.

A rusty arbor with a sloppy helper spring.
Arbor cleaned and treated with a long-term metal protectant. New helper spring fabricated and installed.

Clockworks Sample #1

This clock benefited from its 100-year cleaning and lubrication. (In actuality we don't know how long it had been since it had been cleaned and lubricated, but it was a long time.) Horologists (clock experts) say you should clean and lubricate clocks every three to four years.

Dirty clockworks did not run reliably.
Cleaned, lubricated, and almost as good as new.

Gear Repair

This gear from a Vienna Regulator had a broken pin that needed to be replaced.

One missing pin kept this clock from striking the hours correctly.
New 0.0135 inch (0.343 mm) diameter pin inserted, awaiting cut off.

Clock Case Repair

This Vienna Regulator case was missing some moulding which detracted from its appearance.

Moulding above the bottom finial had been knocked off and lost.
Custom molding fabricated and finished to blend with original woodwork.

Clockspring Cleaning

This 8-day clock lost power late in the week. One contributing factor could have been a dirty spring.

Clockspring before cleaning.
Clockspring cleaned and treated with a long-term metal protectant. You can see it is a high-quality blued spring.

Clockworks Sample #2

Clockworks arrived in not-too-bad condition. Benefitted from cleaning, polishing, and lubrication.

Arrived at the Chagrin Repair Shop a little dirty, gummy, and with rusty steel parts.
Left the Chagrin Repair Shop cleaned, lubricated, and with polished steel parts treated with a long-term metal protectant.

Clock Gallery

German Gravity Sawtooth Clock

This is a clock from the Allgaier Gebr. watch/clock manufacturer, founded by Norbert Allgaier. Allgaier Gebr. was located the German village of Schönwald im Schwarzwald in the state of Baden-Württemberg which puts this clock firmly in the category of "Black Forest" clocks.

This clock slides down a brass bar that has teeth milled into it. The teeth in the bar engage a gear in the clock. As the clock body slides down the bar, the gear turns and powers the clock. The clock has an impressive 34-1/2 hour run time and is "wound" by sliding the clock back to the top of the bar.

Repair involved the pallet arbor (the thing that makes the tick-tock sound and that rocks the pendulum from side-to-side) which had been soldered and adjusted by someone in the past. A thorough cleaning, oiling, polishing certain elements, and straightening/adjusting the pendulum rod and the clock is ticking once again.

26" tall and 4" wide in the middle.
No bells or whistles, just time.
Identifying marks. You can see the heavy, cast body which gives the clock its inertia.

A Family's Kitchen Clock

Some might say that a clock like the following is not worth repairing. These clocks are challenging to work on because they are so small, but with a careful and complete disassembly, cleaning, repair, and reassembly, the clock is working again. It is hanging on the owner's wall after being on a shelf in a grocery bag for twenty years. This clock has an 8-day spring-driven movement.

Not of value to you, but precious to our client.
Small movements are challenging, but possible, to restore.

American Cuckoo Clock Company

This German-made cuckoo clock arrived in a non-functional state. Complete disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, and lubrication were performed and the cuckoo is once again in full voice. This clock has a weight-driven 30-hour movement.

Everyone loves a cuckoo!
Years of dirt and sticky oil stopped the clock.
After disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, and lubrication.

 

Ardavín Clausen Blanco

The Ardavín Clausen Blanco is a mantle clock with a spring-driven flying pendulum mechanism, made in Madrid, Spain. The clock arrived at the Chagrin Repair Shop in non-functional condition after rough transatlantic shipping. Clock components were bent, dislodged, and tangled. We carefully realigned elements, tuned the position of the catching rods, lubricated the pendulum arbor, and adjusted the arbor's retaining bracket. The clock runs for about a day on a winding and keeps approximate time. It is very sensitive to level and drafts.

Hamburg American Clock

This clock, made in Wurttemberg, Germany arrived at the Chagrin Repair Shop from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Elements of this clock were rusted and a complete disassembly , cleaning, reassembly, and lubrication were performed. This clock has an 8-day spring-driven movement.

How does something that lives in an enclosed box get so dirty?
After disassembly, cleaning, polishing, reassembly, and lubrication.
What a beautiful clock.

Ardavín Vesperae Oro

The Ardavín Vesperae Oro is a wall-hung clock with a weight-driven foliot mechanism, made in Madrid, Spain. The clock arrived at the Chagrin Repair Shop in a non-functional state after rough transatlantic shipping. One part of the clock had fallen off and was hidden in the flaps of the shipping container, while others were dislodged, and a few were bent. Given the stout, metal construction of this clock, the damage was impressive. With thought and care, we reassembled the clock, bent arms and levers into proper position, lubricated some arbors, and tuned the strike of the bell's hammer. The clock runs for about a day on a winding and keeps approximate time.

Clock Tips

Feel free to use these tips and processes to figure out an old clock that came into your possession.