Any horology buffs on the forum? Reason I ask is that my wife has gotten into cleaning and repairing old wrist watches. She has all the tools and magnifiers required. This all started when I mentioned that an old clock we'd inherited from my parents hadn't so much as ticked a tock for years. It did run up until my son who was about 6 years old at the time (he's 47 now) knocked it off the shelf it was on jumping on my parents couch. No damage to the case and somehow the glass in the door didn't break. My dad never had it fixed so for 40+ years it stayed silent. It did display the correct time however, twice a day. One day I mentioned to my wife that we should get it fixed. She figured how hard could it be seeing as how it's a simple mechanism. So she got a book on clock repair and low and behold she zeroed in on the problem and repaired it. Turns out the thin wire that the pendulum hangs on got bent in the fall causing it to tick but not tock. Akin to an irregular heart beat in humans. She adjusted it and it's fine. Had to tweak the length of the pendulum so it keeps accurate time and it is spot on. It's a 30 hour clock made by the Atkins Clock Company in Bristol Connecticut. It was made around 1875. I kind of like the sound of a ticking clock. This one has run in 3 different centuries.
Antique clocks are cool. The father of a friend of mine when I was a kid used to collect clocks. The house was full of them. They were everywhere. When it was real quiet there was the unmistakable sound of clocks ticking EVERYWHERE. So much so that it was LOUD. But that paled in comparison to when the top of the hour rolled around. It made Pink Floyd's Time seem calm in comparison. To me, I found the sound of all those clocks ticking to be an infringement upon what I consider peace and quiet. One clock ticking is nice. Two clocks ticking is ok. Three would be about my limit. My idea of peace and quiet is sitting on a porch or screened in porch in the Adirondack Mountains on a lake listening to the wind whistle through the pines and the sounds of the water lapping against the rocks on the shore with the occasional loon calling in the distance. Now THAT is peace and quiet for me. But clocks are cool, if you have the patience to keep fixing them with all their tiny little parts.
She's really at the beginning of her learning curve. Right now she's got a few older watches disassembled and is working on them. If they start working again after assembly I'll get back to you. To be fair, she is relentless with whatever hobby she starts and I have no doubt she'll be good at this one too.
I have a few hanging around. I can do a bit of case restoration but haven't found the time to get into the mechanics yet. I have this old cast iron Ansonia which I think is an Eton model from 1904.
clocks are cool..i have a buddy who is a clock nut..everywhere you turn there is a clock..and he has a good sized place..don't know how he sleeps at night..
There is an Old Gentleman and his wife, who is very good Friends with my mother, who live in Bourne Texas. The man had lived in Europe, working for the Dept of Defense, along with my mother, and he would travel Europe, looking for all kinds of antiques, to ship home. He liked the old and large Grandfather Clocks, as well as the wall mounted ones, and the Mantle Clocks. He liked to restore them to like new condition, and could fix anything mechanically wrong with them. His retirement home, in Bourne Texas, has a large shop/warehouse on the property, so he can do all his work. I have been through there, a couple of times, and its amazing. Hundreds of Antique and Ornate European Grandfather Clocks, with many Wall Mounted Clocks, and some Mantle Clocks. All of them in perfect looking condition, and mechanically perfect. All lined up, in neat rows. All the ones I looked at had the clocks history written down, and stored inside the clock. I would love to get my hands on one of his clocks, but he is what you call a Horder, of his clocks. I dont know if he has ever sold one, even though his wife had been urging him to do so, for years. I asked a few times, to buy one off of him, and just got the "Well, I dont know right now" talk. He is in his mid 80's now, and sadly, wont be around much longer. From what I remember, his kids dont care for the clocks, so they will probably be sold to strangers, in the next few years. Oh, they also collect and restore antique furniture, and music machines. I remember a couple of old, and large, music machines that use large metal discs, with ridges or holes in them. He restored them, and they work. This couples house is like a museum.
when i was in high school i used to hang out with my friend up the street.his dad was a watch/clock repair guy and his workshop was amazing. he also loved old 40s fords and had a cool collection..an old school skill that takes years to perfect ..
