Old mechanical clocks

I have another hobby buying non-running old clocks and getting them running. This is my latest adventure. I'm going to try to photograph all my clocks soon. Here is my latest Seth Thomas #124 movement I finished tonight. This one had two broken springs one main spring and one click spring. Main springs are beyond my ability so the clock store repaired it. I now have five mantel clocks and four cuckoo clocks and one wall clock. (They don't all run at the same time)
I've wanted a Westminster chime clock and now I have one.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjt0XyfapWM

Sounds Great!

Thanks these old clocks are fun and when you get them running it's more fun.

Quick shot with the SB-600. I'm going to set up umbrellas later.

vindex1963 said:

I have another hobby buying non-running old clocks and getting them running. This is my latest adventure. I'm going to try to photograph all my clocks soon. Here is my latest Seth Thomas #124 movement I finished tonight. This one had two broken springs one main spring and one click spring. Main springs are beyond my ability so the clock store repaired it. I now have five mantel clocks and four cuckoo clocks and one wall clock. (They don't all run at the same time)
I've wanted a Westminster chime clock and now I have one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjt0XyfapWM

Click to expand...

Is it just me, or do others see that opening scene of Doc Brown's place in Back to the Future when they read this?

You've got some excellent mechanical skills there vindex1963. Very cool stuff you've been workin on! This is likely becoming a lost art.

About 40 years ago the Santa Fe Rwy. had a massive corporate "garage sale" of miscellany, including vintage wall clocks from around the system. These were made for the railroad, so had custom faces and some had decals on the glass in the pendulum area promoting the Santa Fe System and safe work practices. These must be worth a handsome sum these days.

As an example, the Seth Thomas No. 2 wall clock is just beautiful to me. It was built with a compensating mechanisim that kept the beat while the clock was wound. This assured continued accuracy as the clock was wound, as most weight driven clocks slow when wound. The whole topic of railroad time service on large systems is a study unto itself.

I think the clock in this photograph is a Seth Thomas No. 19 and is extremely rare. These appeared in Dispatcher's offices.

Still need to photograph the cuckoo clocks.
My set up

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NIce setup. Maybe if you could move the table forward so the backdrop is more out of focus to hide the creases it would be better. Or apply a gaussian blur to the background only.

Nice clocks. Here is mine that I inherited from my parents. The chime was so disturbing that I replaced the mechanics with a digital one. I know, not very ethical, but practical.

The sheet is a bit distracting but as one photo I think it's acceptable but is a row like these it becomes a focal point.
You could have wound just the time spring and left the chime spring unwound. Did you keep the movement after you replaced it?

Marcel said:

NIce setup. Maybe if you could move the table forward so the backdrop is more out of focus to hide the creases it would be better. Or apply a gaussian blur to the background only.

Nice clocks. Here is mine that I inherited from my parents. The chime was so disturbing that I replaced the mechanics with a digital one. I know, not very ethical, but practical.

View attachment 27555

Click to expand...

vindex1963 said:

The sheet is a bit distracting but as one photo I think it's acceptable but is a row like these it becomes a focal point.
You could have wound just the time spring and left the chime spring unwound. Did you keep the movement after you replaced it?

Click to expand...

I did keep it for a while, but after a few moves I just threw it away. I know, I know. Don't turn the knife in the wound.

Marcel said:

I did keep it for a while, but after a few moves I just threw it away. I know, I know. Don't turn the knife in the wound.

Click to expand...

Plus, the tick tack noise was getting to me. I prefer my house to be quiet at times.

Oh I understand I usually have one going at a time and after the novelty wears off I don't wind the chime spring.
I just think they're beautiful as home furnishings.