While away for a couple of days, I found this rather nice clock in an antique shop. Cost me £30, so not a massive expense for something this nice.



After a bit of coaxing (oiling, some light persuasion on a gear), it is now running and is keeping pretty regular time. Infact, it seems to have kept the time pretty accurately since I adjusted it last night - it agrees with my MBP’s idea of what the time is. Analogue time is always approximate, but so far, so good.

The only down side is that it’s a bit eccentric when it comes to chiming the hour and half hour. Sometimes it does, sometime it doesn’t, and there is a gap between each “bong” that is just a little too long, and you wonder if it’s going too chime again. I suspect that the spring for the chiming mechanism is a bit broken or not delivering enough power. Whatever the reason, it will end up in a repair shop for a service eventually. Most clocks of this kind (mantlepiece clocks) have an 8 day mechanism - which means you only need to wind it once a week - this includes the chiming system.

The case is a bit tatty. Clearly it’s not a top of the range model. It was probably bought in Woolworths, and would be found in a lower/middle class home. The sun rays on one side is a bit bashed. It will be cleaned (it’s dusty and the glass has grubby finger prints all over it), the sun ray removed and straightened and replaced, but nothing more. It will sit somewhere in the house ticking away. When it’s been serviced, it will also be chiming more regularly.

I like mechanical clocks. One with a good tick adds a bit of life to the house.

We've always had one back home. The first one we had was my Dad's grandmother's, which chimed the amount of hours on the hour and once every half-past, above it hung a large mirror. One day Dad rerouted a cable behind the mirror, hours later the mirror came crashing down on the clock and smashed it
The new one was my Mum's Dad's, it chimes every quarter of an hour which is a tad annoying.

I'm not sure Faye would like a mechanical clock, but it's something I would certainly consider for a hobby room/study (yes, I'm hoping that one day I get my own room in a house).

I've always wanted to build a clock purely out of wood and rocks. It would probably need winding 10 times a day and keep terrible time, but I think it would be cool

You could start small with a sundial

Made me smile seeing that, as it's very similar to my grandfather's clock. I'll ask a little more about it's history, but as far as I can remember, he was very proud of having it. It may, or may not, have been a gift from work (which was Vauxhall in Luton c. '40s).

And here it is:



Not currently running, but it'll be off to our local menders soon, I'm told.

That's a nice one. I do see a similarity - certainly in construction and finish. Yes - get it mended. It has to work.

John Harrison was a chippie

I love old-fashion clocks. I really want an old grandfather clock or even one combined with a barometer and thermometer etc.

I have nowhere to put a tall case clock, or I'd be looking for one.

The clock in question seems to be chiming more predictably now. It's also keeping pretty good time. It obviously needs to be run for a decent amount of time.

So was Jesus' dad. :etc

The chiming is getting eccentric again. I thought it had straightened itself out, but it’s taken to chiming at random again. I think the spring for that is broken, or detached from its anchor point. This will be an eight day clock, so both the clock and chime mechanisms should run a week without needing winding.

I’ll need to get the details of the clock mender my parents use, and take it there.

That's a beautiful clock you picked up. Love the retro "Japanese flag" stylings along the sides.