Anyone else have an interest?
NFR Vintage wall clocks
- Thread starter mark wlker
- Start date
Non-fishing related
A high level interest. I developed an appreciation for vintage clocks when I worked in a clock shop in high school and learned some basics of repair and maintenance. I do have a fondness for the old American clocks—Sessions, Ingraham, and the like.
My Dad has a gorgeous chiming Kienzle made in 1941; interesting time in Germany to be making clocks, or anything, I s’pose.
Good to hear that Matt.
Much to my better half's chagrin, we have 10 in the house and 2 in the garage.
Currently working on another half dozen of so.
Much to my better half's chagrin, we have 10 in the house and 2 in the garage.
Currently working on another half dozen of so.
Haha. My parents’ house was a little like that, especially after I started working at the clock shop which piqued their interest beyond our neat little family heirloom cuckoo clock and the very 1990s Howard Miller grandfather clock they picked up at a furniture store at some point. They ended up becoming something of collectors. I used to use the sound of the clocks striking midnight to hide my descent down the stairs to illicitly watch 120 Minutes on MTV, which I wasn’t supposed to watch.
Whatcha got?
Do you refurbish/rebuild on your own? Clean oil adjust?
Inherited a Howard Miller "The President" from my better half's Mother many years ago. Currently in the clock shop for repair/maintenance. In 1982, it was $4700. Now, no idea.
Another Howard Miller "Sandringham" pendulum table clock.
An Ethan Allen grandfatherclock.
Seth Thomas; 2 Cottage clocks, 2 Adamantine mantle clocks, another mantle clock, and a "Regulator" wall clock.
A Junghans "table" clock.
A Gilbert "kitchen" clock. From the late 1800's with an annoyingly loud tick!
Asian pendulum clock ; maker unknown.
A "maker unknown" (most likely German/Austrian) pendulum wall clock.
Another 9 pendulum wall clocks from the mid 1800's being restored.
Another Howard Miller "Sandringham" pendulum table clock.
An Ethan Allen grandfatherclock.
Seth Thomas; 2 Cottage clocks, 2 Adamantine mantle clocks, another mantle clock, and a "Regulator" wall clock.
A Junghans "table" clock.
A Gilbert "kitchen" clock. From the late 1800's with an annoyingly loud tick!
Asian pendulum clock ; maker unknown.
A "maker unknown" (most likely German/Austrian) pendulum wall clock.
Another 9 pendulum wall clocks from the mid 1800's being restored.
I either have to Google each clock or have you post pictures! My mother has a clock, electronic though. Luckily it doesn't make noise. Cool stuff, but I've got more hobbies than I can shake a stick at!
A friend of mine, used to tear his Rolex watches apart and then put them back together just to see how they worked! I have a few others that collect very nice watches too. I did see a Bulava that I want. About $700 but no hurry for me to get it!
You could have gone down the whole automaton career path.....
Backpack snatcher at 1:55 does make me chuckle....
Finally moved from Windows 7 to Windows 11. Struggling trying to figure everything out. Pics are one of them.
Learning how to do it all. Information is sketchy and very diversified from clock to clock.
This is a funny side note. I used to be a receiving Mgr for a big box store. Young employees entering the building would walk in and ask what time it was. We would point up on the wall behind the desk is a 2' diameter wall clock. They would look confused, then pull their cell phone out to tell what time it was. That was 2010. Today's generation is clueless.
We like chiming clocks. We bought a couple of mechanical clocks in the early 1980s. I find it very soothing if I awaken at night and am able to hear a chime echoing through the house as I drift back to sleep.
Howard Miller Chime Mantle Clock 1050-020, with a German-made Hermle triple-chime movement (Westminster, St. Michael, Whittington). I like the simple but non-repetitive melody of the Whittington chime.
We had my SIL pick up a Black Forest 1 Day Hunter's Cuckoo Clock while visiting and touring Europe with our BIL when he was stationed in Italy, and have it in the daylight basement family room.
Many (non-precision) mechanical clocks are capable of accuracy of +-10 to +-30 seconds per day. Both of ours are adjusted to run just a tad slow. When I wind them I set the minute hand to ~30 seconds ahead and they both chime - cuckoo within 30 seconds before the top & bottom - quarters of the hour for 2 - 3 days depending on temperature changes and humidity.
Howard Miller Chime Mantle Clock 1050-020, with a German-made Hermle triple-chime movement (Westminster, St. Michael, Whittington). I like the simple but non-repetitive melody of the Whittington chime.
We had my SIL pick up a Black Forest 1 Day Hunter's Cuckoo Clock while visiting and touring Europe with our BIL when he was stationed in Italy, and have it in the daylight basement family room.
Many (non-precision) mechanical clocks are capable of accuracy of +-10 to +-30 seconds per day. Both of ours are adjusted to run just a tad slow. When I wind them I set the minute hand to ~30 seconds ahead and they both chime - cuckoo within 30 seconds before the top & bottom - quarters of the hour for 2 - 3 days depending on temperature changes and humidity.
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The sounds can be a lot.While I like the the beauty and the chimes,especiallya nice grandfather clock. I find the ticking of the seconds arm massively annoying, especially at night, and would keep me up for hrs.
The thought of 10 in a house sounds like torture to me
If it has a seconds hand it’s probably some “modern piece of crap,” as my former horologist boss would’ve said. Hermle was a common mass produced movement in many clocks sold at furniture stores and whatnot—“Hermle crap,” I heard that a lot. We had boxes full of junked brass Hermle movements…just like a junkyard for cars—parts. They just wore out quickly. Brass ain’t like it used it be. Installing new bushings and machining down and polishing the pivots on the lathe and getting a gnarly old busted up antique ticking again—that was pretty cool. That’s why I like the old American clocks. It was like working on old American cars. Just a little hard, not too bad. Decent quality stuff. Satisfying.
We've had our HM - Hermle cleaned and serviced twice and a year ago had a bushing replaced. Is that poor reliability over a 43 yr span? The cuckoo was serviced once after the kiddo yanked on the chain and it's ~40 yrs old.
wanderingrichard
Life of the Party
Need service? Aubrey's House of Clocks in Issaquah is still open. I think Aubrey is still working there, but he's deep into his 80's now.
We've got a Black Forest Cucukoo there getting fixed now. Something my father bought in the 50's when stationed in Heilbron. Someone didn't understand the concept of left hand threads, so that's getting repaired as well as a clean and lube service.
We've got a Black Forest Cucukoo there getting fixed now. Something my father bought in the 50's when stationed in Heilbron. Someone didn't understand the concept of left hand threads, so that's getting repaired as well as a clean and lube service.
Seems okay to me but it really shouldn’t need bushings at all in that time frame if kept clean. If you compare the old with the new you can see and feel the difference in quality. Hermle plates are thin and the brass is relatively soft. Some of the movements were even manufactured with this weird film on them that would start to peel away with time or if put through the ultrasonic tank. But hey don’t let my old boss’s biases insult or diminish your appreciation of a piece you enjoy.
Tim @ Benjamin & Sons mobile repair service in Lacey did good work replacing the bushing in our HM. It took a couple of days for him to be in our area, and he took it back to his shop. But it was done and delivered in a week. I'm not that familiar with clock repair pricing but the cost seemed fair according to a Google search estimate.
Benjamin & Sons
Complete clock repair service for grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, wall and mantle clocks, mechanical, battery or electric.
benjaminandsons.com