Search Results for: antique clocks

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Shipping Fine Clocks

At present our family antiques business probably ships about 60% of its total sales of antique clocks. They go abroad to countries like USA , Canada, Australia and China. For shipments to these countries antique clocks need to be professionally packed.  So what does this entail?

Packing Clocks For Export

After you have purchased your antique clock we offer a full door to door shipping service. This is provided at present by a superb company that we have used for many years called the British Shop. They will pick the clock up from our shop in London or our premises in Cheshire and arrange for a crate to be made. This is for the trunk, hood and movement. They export and deliver to your home. The timber crate is necessary when export packing. The clock with have tissue/bubble wrap all around the polished surfaces, and then the trunk will be held down in the crate by battons. Further layers of bubble wrap and packing will then be used to fill the voids and further the item further.

Good packing minimizes transport risk

The parts of the clock will usually be kept seperate to ensure they can not damage one another. The crate will then be screwed down and be ready for transport either by air or sea freight. I always recommend air freight as it is far quicker.

Setting Up Instructions

All documentation will be provided with the antique clocks to ensure they pass customs. Full setting up instructions are always available on our website or included with the crate.

It is important in my opinion to use a specialist antique shipper to minimize the possibility of any damage during transport. Accidents do happen from time to time though and so make sure you take out the proper insurance for your peace of mind.

On delivery of your crate, please check all items have arrived in perfect condition as the shipper normally has a time frame in which he requires any damage to be noted and the insurance company informed. When the clock arrives always make sure you keep the antique clock in the correct humidity conditions. Above 40% to about 65% R.H is about ideal.

Value for Money

Clearly the UK was the centre of antique clock manufacture and the best clocks made in the 17th and 18th centuries were in the UK. If you are from the USA or other countries around the world, visiting the UK on holiday. Then choosing your very own antique clock is a special experience. We welcome our foreign customers and can provide them with special export prices. On antique grandfather clocks we are running a special promotion at the moment. This normally means we can discount the clock for you to effectively cover the cost of export shipping door to door.

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Collecting Antiques

I get asked many times about what I would choose if I was starting a collection of antique grandfather clocks.  We feel privileged in helping many special customers and friends source their own private antique clock collections. The most important part if you are deciding to build your own antique clock collection is to purchase them somewhere you can get a guarantee they are genuine.  I would also take you time in building up this collection, it can not be achieved overnight.

What type of clocks to collect?

I believe the greatest antique grandfather clocks were produced between C1680 and C1820. I am now going to suggest a possible date and styles that you could choose to form this collection. It is true you might prefer a particular style of antique clock and then you could just collect this style. There is nothing wrong in doing this. You may prefer just famous London makers from the 17th and early 18th centuries like Thomas Thompion or Edward East or George Graham. I have no problem in collectors heading down this route.

Broad spectrum of clocks

A route I will suggest here is a broad spectrum of special antique clocks from the entire range of the period suggested above. The collection could be increased still further from what is listed below by different dial shapes or antique clocks from different towns also showing distinctive case features.

Examples of Interest

1)

I think it is important to start your collection with a special early example of a London marquetry brass square dial grandfather clock by a reknowned but not necessary ultra famous maker. This clock will date from around C1690 and be a good ‘8-day’ example, usually with a lentical to the trunk door.

2)

I think next on the list would be a good ‘8-day’ or ‘month’ duration English burr walnut square brass dial grandfather clock, again by a good London clockmaker.

3)

I think it is then important to source a good arch or square brass dial early lacquer clock from C1715. This again will be a London area example.

4)

A burr-walnut arched brass dial caddy top London grandfather clock is also essential to any collection. These tend to date from C1715 to C1750.

5)

A good early arched or square brass dial provincial oak grandfather clock should form part of any collection. These dating from early to mid 18th century. These will be good ‘8-day’ examples with maybe an early ‘penny’ moon feature or automaton to the arch or dial centre.

The clocks do not have to cost the earth.

6)

An early oak or maybe pine 30 hour duration clock with brass square dial would be nice in any collection.

7)

Moving on to my favourite period in antique clocks from C1760 onwards. A good C1770 London mahogany arched brass dial is vital.

8

A superb London mahogany arch white dial  ‘8-day’ grandfather clock.

9)/10)11)

Moon examples of 7 and 8 are also important to any collection, as is an automaton example.

12)

A good Manchester moonphase grandfather clock from around C1770

13)

A typical Liverpool moonphase grandfather clock from around C1770

14)

A typical Bristol tidal times moonphase mahogany grandfather clocks from around C1770

15)

A typical Hull pagoda top mahogany grandfather clock from around C1770/C1790

16)

A good Edinburgh grandfather clock from the end of the 18th century

17)

A good white dial Dundee or thereabouts mhaogany arch dial grandfather clock from C1790

18)

A good London with attached hood columns arched brass dial mahogany grandfather clock.

19)

A good London with attached hood columns square silvered brass dial mahogany grandfather clock.

20)

Various Precision Regulator examples with the differing means of pendulum compensation.

 

Conclusion

I have tried to form the basis of a wide ranging collection This could be a good tool for you to start building your own antique clock collection.  Clearly there are some great clocks from other provincial towns around the country that I have not mentioned. You can also throw in some special provincial makers like Barber or Ogden or Deacon to the mix. I suppose a wide ranging collection should encompace as many differing cabinet styles from all the areas of the UK. These may also include one from the west coast of Scotland, or Ireland, even though I am not a big fan of the typical 18th century case styles from the these areas.  This is just a personal taste though and one clock from each place as an example would not be out of place in any collection. I suppose this depends on space and finance though. I believe a minimum of 25 grandfather clocks would be required to be purchased to obtain a good overall wide ranging collection. This can then be bulked out if necessary be adding more towns or special collectible makers. Clock collecting can be quite addictive.

– Daniel Clements – Pendulum of Mayfair Ltd 51 Maddox street, London –

 

 

 

 

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Antique Marine Chronometers

The name John Harrison clockmaker will ring a bell with lots of people. Those in particular interested in antique clocks. Harrison was a special person. These people only ever come round ever generation or so. He was self educated and he started out on his journey as a humble carpenter. It was his love for clocks that made his so well known.  John Harrison dedicated his life’s work to solving the longitude problem.

Longitude Problem

It was fairly easy to find out ones latitude while at sea. Finding your Longitude was not easy in the 18th century. The problem of finding ones Longitude at sea was of vital importance. Our British Parliament in 1714 offered a prize for doing so. This was comparable to nearly 3 million pounds in today’s money to find a solution. Many sailors had lost their lives by miscalculating their position by not knowing their exact longitude. It was Harrison who eventually collected this prize. His clocks are able to be viewed at Greenwich National Maritime Museum. The advent of the marine chronometer as we know today could not really have been carried out without the input and development of various other influential horologist of their time.

John Campbell Marine Chronometer.

Many Failures along the route

One of the first attempts to invent a marine chronometer was made by the inventor of the pendulum clock, Christian Huygens, in 1675 he invented a chronometer but after tests it was not found to be accurate enough. Pierre Le Roy’s invented in 1748 the detent escapement. This formed an important part of all later chronometers was also vital in the development of the chronometer. He in-coorporated this detent escapement with a temperature compensated balance and the isochronous (equal time intervals) balance spring. Thomas Earnshaw and John Arnold in 1780 also were influencial in this field. They developed and patented simplified and detached spring detent escapements. They improved the escapements by bringing the temperature compensation to the balance They also improved the design and manufacture of the balance springs.

Our British Empire

It is in my view the work started by John Harrison combined with the people listed above and various other individuals like Ferdinand Berthoud in France and Thomas Mudge in Britain that served as the basis for marine chronometers as we know them today. Marine chronometers pictured like the one above by Charles Frodsham can be seen still being used up until the World Wars, many years later. It is not until the electronic era and satellite navigation did these chronometers become retired to their various collectors homes and museums.

There were various difficulties for keeping precise time at sea, these chronometers solved these in various ways. The rolling motion of the boat was not good for these antique clocks and so the clocks movement were housed in a case. This case was attached to a gimbals that kept the movement horizontal under even the worst storm. These can be seen in the picture above and below.

Issues to Overcome

The salt air was also not good for the mechanisms and the chronometers were sealed to be airtight.

Also temperature variations was one of the most important factors to overcome, temperature compensated balances reduced these errors to a minimum.

Spring driven fusee movements also compensated for the changes in the spring tension during the wind of the chronometer.

On a final point the addition of a winding cover to the rear of the brass cover for the movement was also added. On one fateful journey a spider entered the movement of one chronometer and slowed the mechanism. This caused the captain to wrongly position his boat on the charts. The boat hit rocks and many sailors lives were lost. Ever since then a cover was added to prevent this recurring. The picture below shows one way this was achieved. On later models a spring loaded disc was used. This needed to be held back while winding.

Conclusion

The marine chromometer was vitally important in the 18th and 19th centuries and was one of the reasons why this country remained one of the foremost naval powers. Its importance should not be understated.

 

 

 

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English Lantern Clocks

A typical verge 17th century lantern clock with alarm feature to dial centre. These clocks are hung from a hook on the wall and they have one weight which drives both the striking side and going side of mechanism. As a result these clocks go for 30 hours or less on a full wind.

The development of Lantern Clocks

As this is such a broad subject for discussion, I can only give a few important pointers in the development of English Lantern Clocks.  I will try and answer any questions you may have through my main website. The earliest practical timekeepers in homes in this country were the lantern clocks. They deserve discussion and I will do my best in a short piece to give a useful insight into their manufacture/ design and dates.

What is in the name, Lantern Clock?

The name Lantern Clocks always causes much debate. Some people suggest the word derives from a corruption of the word Latten, which used to describe copper alloys, much like brass in the Middle Ages. It is also suggested the name comes from the fact that the clocks shape looks like a rectangular lantern from the period.  In any event Lantern clocks, which are a type of weight driven clock hanging usually from the wall. They came into homes in this country from about C1600 remaining very popular until the 19 th century. You will see many copies of these types of antique clock sold today, many with spring driven movements.

Made of Brass

Lantern clocks were made almost exclusively of brass, you will only find a few posts within the movement and the clock hands made of iron. Sometimes even the antique clock hand will be cut from brass. These clocks generally have a single hand to tell the time. The movements are of a maximum of 30 hours duration. I have never seen a period ‘8-day’ example. These clocks strike the hours on a single bell and are wound from a rope system. Occasionally you will have an alarm feature to the centre of the dial. This alarm feature has sometimes been removed over the years.

(h3>Mechanisms of Lantern Clocks

The earliest mechanisms of these clocks have a balance wheel form of escapement. The development then continues onto the verge escapement and small bob pendulum. The problem with both these methods is accuracy for timekeeping is not great. It was the development of the long pendulum by Huygens in 1656 that further improved these clocks.  Accuracy of about 15 minutes per day was expected with an early balance wheel escapement lantern clocks. Probably 5/10 minutes per day with the early verge escapements. Then onto and to under a minute or so with the anchor escapements and long pendulum.

The long pendulum – Christian Huygens

The invention of the long pendulum was both good and bad for the humble lantern clock. It is clear some of the earliest provincial grandfather clocks were lantern clocks in wood cases shaped very much like coffins. As development continued antique grandfather clock production slowly wiped out the need for lantern clocks. Few lantern clocks tend to be made during the 18th century.

Original lantern clocks dating back to the 17th century are rare and these are highly sought after and collectible. The Victorians unfortunately changed many of the movements of these 17th century lantern clocks. They put key wind late movements to them. I often see these clocks around the salerooms and it makes me sad. I have collected a number of genuine 17th century lantern clocks and many are pictured in the reknowned book by George White on English Lantern Clocks. If you wish to do a detailed study on these exceptional clocks I recommend reading this book. Alternatively visit our website for more information.

 

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Antique Clock Cabinet Restoration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this blog I wish to talk about the process of sympathetic restoration of a C.1770 antique bracket clock. I will show you the time consuming process that is generally carried out on most 18th century antique clocks at some part in their life.

Sympathetic Restoration Antiques

Sympathetic restoration done professionally is essential. It can literally transform a clock into a wonderful piece of art and bring it back to life. Restoration done poorly or done by an unqualified person can literally destroy the value of a clock.

Difference between Restoration Done Properly and Done Poorly

I also hope you can understand the difference in price of buying an unrestored antique clock from an auction and a carefully sympathetically restored guaranteed example from a respected antique clock dealer. Restoring an antique clock from what we call a ‘sleepy’ state to ‘showroom’ condition takes time. In today’s world labour costs are expensive and as a result can be costly.

How long does it take Restoration Done Properly ?

Restoration taking some 10/15 working days on a cabinet and 5 working days on any antique clock movement are very typical. 20 working days, nearly a month of a highly skilled persons wages, costs alot of money. Some clocks may not need as much work, maybe this will have been carried out at some time in the past, but how well has this been done?

Over Restored Items

On the antiques market there are lots of over restored items. I have seen examples that just make you want to shake your head, sticky french polish and open grain wood.

Antiques Sometimes Ruined

These are not beautiful antiques anymore. Our cabinet restorers have worked with us from school, they have about 20 years experience and have proper in house training. The antique clocks director of a major auction house once stated, ” no one in his opinion restores their antiques as sympathetically.”  The restoration process is a slow labour intensive process, it can not be rushed and corners must not be cut. Clocks or antique furniture do not leave our workshop until the owner himself is happy.

Some Examples of Restoration

Below are a series of pictures detailing the transformation of a bracket clock from a tired somewhat distressed state,  into a beautiful loving cared for example. This clock will now give many years joy to its new owners. Finding clock is such a ‘sleepy’ state is far better I it means they have not be ‘butchered’ by over enthusiastic workmen in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of Intricate Repairs

As you can see in the above pictures where mouldings or pieces are loose these need to be removed and adjusted/repaired and then refitted with animal glues. Animal glues are what 18th century cabinet makers used. They have a superb property that when heated they become unstuck and so repairs to veneers or mouldings can be carried out.  If modern pva wood glues were used to clock sections, repairs would have been more difficult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see all loose veneers on clock or damaged sections need to be removed and either replaced by wood of the same age and then carved to shape by hand or simply re-glued with animal glue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further pictures from a painstaking restoration to a beautiful C.1770 antique bracket clock. A clock might look immaculate as in the top picture prior to restoration but generally many weeks work are required to bring any clock into proper showroom condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All repairs can only be done when cabinet is structurally sound. Animal glue over many years can become brittle and mouldings can become loose or have been stuck on incorrectly over years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Structural repairs to clock are now nearly complete. From now on, the clock will start looking like a clock again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repairs carried out, done properly with wood of the correct flame and age, are unnoticeable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antique bracket clock restoration perfectly carried out by an experienced cabinet restoration specialist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished clock minus frets to door that need to be fitted. A transformation that is time consuming and can only be carried out be a fully qualified experienced cabinet restorer. For any futher information on antique clock restoration please contact me directly, I will be happy to help. Later in the year I will write on antique clock movement restoration. Please subscribe to my rss feed to received regular information. Pendulum of Mayfair can provide a full antique clock repair service, for more information visit www.pendulumofmayfair.co.uk.

 

Daniel R Clements

 

 

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30 Hour Clocks

antique cottage clock - 30 hour

30 Hour Country Clocks

My last post was about my most special antique clock makers. I jumped to the support of a superb provincial clock maker at the expense of the hundreds of high quality London makers. In no way was I undermining the great London clockmakers though. We sell more London clocks than any others. I must say we all owe a great deal to the formation of the Clockmaker’s Company in London. The Clockmaker’s Company set standards high and as a result we have lots of special clocks. The UK and London became the centre of clock-making in the 18th century. It is something I am very proud of.

I do think there is a place though for the simple 30 hour clock produced in the provinces. London looked down on the simple 30 hour in the 18th century. No 30 hour grandfather clock examples I believe were produced here after the about C1700. They thought the same of oak cabinets. You will not see a genuine oak London longcase clock I believe, all these were veneered in walnut/marquetry or in figured mahogany, or decorated with chinese lacquer work.

Antique 30 hour clock

Clockmakers Company

The Clockmaker’s Company kept standards in London high. Provincial 30 hour clocks though have a character of there own. In the 18th century you still had to be well off to own a grandfather clock. They were normally the most expensive item in the household.

lovely 30 hour dial

30 hours clocks can have a single hand or two hands to tell the time. Most examples do not have a second hand. For a 30 Hour clock to have a second hand it would need a extra wheel in its train or it would run backwards.

Original 18th century 30 hour oak or pine clocks that have not been altered or have not suffered from the dreaded rot or worm infestation are rare though, many have lost parts of their bases over the years or had their movements converted from 30 hour to ‘8-day’ examples. Both of these dramatically effects the value and I would not recommend purchasing one of these.

wilson 30 hour clock

If you own a cottage though there is nothing better than a simple oak ’30-hour’. You will find they will be very reliable and will fit in with the low ceilings in a cottage much better. Most collectible ’30-hour’ grandfather clocks will have either 10 or 11inch dials, this makes them smaller and slimmer than their standard ‘8-day’ equivalent.

Most of these clocks are wound with a rope or chain, since this rope or chain is on a continious loop, the clocks weight is always engaged when winding. This means that the clock will not stop or lose time during winding. This is effectively the same as ‘maintaining power’ on the fine regulator clocks. They will strike on the hour and it is the same weight that drives the time or going side and the striking side. This is partly why the clock will only last one day on a wind. If you put a clothes peg on the flywheel of the strike mechanism, a 30 hour clock would normally last for about 3 days before needing to be wound.

Conclusion

If you do decide to take the plunge and buy a collectible 30 hour after reading this. Make sure you buy from a recognised dealer. They will give you a money back guarantee that the clock is genuine. Remember to enjoy your search for your grandfather clock whether that be a simple 30 hour clock or a ‘8-day’ example.

As with all antique clocks you are only a custodian of them for future generations. They with live long beyond us if cared for properly.

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What is my favourite antique clock maker?

So many times I get asked the question. When you have so many antique clocks, which one do you like best? It is a very difficult question to answer, as I love antique clocks. I have loved them all my life. There is no one set clock that I can opt for. One clock maker I truly respect amongst all others though.

Clockmaker Thomas Ogden

You might well expect me to go for a special London clockmaker, as so many names run off the tongue. We have Thomas Tompion, the father of English clockmaking. Fromanteel, a very special early clockmaker. Edward East another early and well respected clockmaker. George Graham, Daniel Quare, John Ellicott, a very special maker. Eardley Norton, John Knibb, wow the list is so long and I could include many many more. These are truly amazing clockmakers. You will notice though they are all London gentlemen. It was far easier to get on, produce wonderful clocks in London, than pretty much anywhere else in the 17th/18th centuries.

Why Thomas Ogden ?

After long thought I have decided the workmanship and talents of the Ogden family of clockmakers, and in particular Thomas Ogden Clock . Ogden produced amazing workmanship away from the centre of clock making and knowledge that was London. This makes him my no 1 choice, as a result he certainly has the X factor for me.

Quaker Clockmaking

Thomas Ogden was from a family of Quakers. He was born in C 1693. He initially worked in Ripponden, probably continuing his fathers business. Ogden then moved to Halifax, where he had a shop on the High Street and Upper Swift Place in Soyland. He died with no children in 1769 aged 77.

Superb Quality Workmanship

Thomas Ogden’s work is of the highest quality. He is one of the very few clock makers, that put a half round brass beed, as seen the pictures above, around his dial. No spandrels to the dial is a typical Quaker thing to do. I have been lucky to own a few of his antique clocks. Every one, like the one above, is exacting in every detail. The internal workmanship is not matched in my opinion, especially considering he is not from the establishment of clock makers, that was London in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Globe Moons

He produced some wonderful globe moons or ‘Halifax moons’ ,as they were later called and various world time dials. He is in my opinion the finest of all provincial clock makers and in some ways one of the finest of all clock makers. Pendulum of Mayfair has one such amazing example on its website.

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Timekeeping – Clocks

The pendulum clock

The speed of the clock is the only thing that controls timekeeping. Adjusting the pendulum will make the clock go faster or slower. All other factors can be considered constant. This can be seen from the equation relating to the period of swing of a simple pendulum.

T = 2π√(L/g)

where

  • T is the period in seconds (s)
  • pi = 3.14 (it is also written as the Greek letter π)
  • L is the length pendulum in meters or feet
  • g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s² or 32 ft/s²)

Lengthen pendulum to go slower and vice versa

If your antique clocks are correctly set up and are fast and gaining time, you will need to lengthen the pendulums. If your clock is slow, you will need to shorten the pendulum of the clock, to quicken it up.

All clock pendulum rods and bobs prior to the temperature compensated pendulums either will expand or contract with temperature changes. They need to be adjusted accordingly. Most antique clocks in centrally heated houses will be re-markedly accurate though, after you have adjusted to your mean temperature.

Temperature Compensated Pendulums on Clocks

Probably the earliest method for trying to overcome deviations in timekeeping as a result of temperature changes was the wood rod pendulum. In long grain the wood rod will expand only a little.This expansion will be compensated by the addition of a large brass cased lead bob. This brass bob will also expand slightly up and down from the rating nut, with temperature changes.

Every Increasing Accuracy

Refining the accuracy of the very best precision clocks started from the early 18th century with Harrison’s grid iron pendulum. Differing expansions of metals was understood many years earlier. Harrison devised a pendulum with a specific proportion of brass and iron. These two metals would have rates of expansion and contraction that would effectively cancel each other out.

George Graham

In 1722 Graham produced a mercury compensated pendulum. The mercury as seen in a regulator clock in the picture above is contained in a jar. This is effectively acting the same as a normal brass pendulum bob. Mercury will expand roughly 6 times the rate of steel and so in the ratio 1:6. The expansions will roughly cancel each other out. The thermal coefficients of the differing metals is therefore important when building compensated pendulums. Glass being a poor conductor of heat was the only real negative to this invention but this method proved very effective and the pendulums do look stunning. These type of clocks are very collectible.

John Ellicott

There were various other pendulum’s developed like Ellicott’s compensated pendulum and Richie’s compensated pendulum on regulator clocks.Then the eventual use of metals like Invar which is a mix of nickel/iron and small quantities of carbon and manganese.

Conculsion

All these compensated pendulums are just trying to keep the effective length of the pendulum the same. When I say effective length of the pendulum, this will be from the bending point of the feather at the top of the clocks pendulum, to the centre of gravity of the pendulum near its bottom.  This is why on some clocks coins or small weights were added on the rod to change fine timekeeping. I will happily answer more question if you contact me.

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Caring for your clocks

Clock Maintenance

It is important that your antique clock movement is properly serviced. A full movement overhaul , if carried out properly and correctly, can last a generation. If your movement requires cleaning this is a separate issue and should be carried out as and when necessary. This is usually every 15 years or so. This should always be carried out by a qualified horologist. I am going to advise on general maintenance in this blog, that can be undertaken by the owner. This general care should be carried out every year or 18 months.

Service every 10-15 Years

I am assuming your clock has had a proper service in the last 10/20 years. Running a dirty or worn clock movement can lead to further wear and is not advisable.

Oiling your clock movement

It is important to oil your clock movement every year or 18 months. I recommend using a good Swiss clock oil, like Moebius Clock Oil. This can be found at good clock part suppliers or on the Internet via companies like eBay. Do not use poor quality oil substitutes, as these can dry out and may require your movement to be cleaned to remove deposits.

Where to oil?

Correctly oil your antique clock movements. This will therefore extend the life of your movement before a major service will be required. The wheels of the movement do not require oiling. It is important to oil where the pivots go through the front plate and backplate of the movement. The wheels are fixed onto to arbors and at the ends of these arbors are called pivots. Tiny oil sinks are on the outer side of the front plate and backplate to hold the oil.

Little and Often

Apply a drop of oil using a fine artist brush. If you cannot oil the oil sink on the outer side of the plates, oil where the pivot goes through the plates on the inner side. At the top of the movement, there is the anchor. The pivot for this is attached to back-cock and is not on the backplate of the movement. It is also good to oil the anchor pallets, this is the part which goes tick / tock. At this service you can oil the pulleys, which the clock weights are attached and other places like hinges of the clock door etc.

Waxing

Customers should never use aerosol spray polish on your grandfather clocks cabinet. Furthermore only use beeswax polish as aerosols can have added chemical and propellants which can damage your patina. I have known customers use spray polish and this has literally stripped the wax finish of the cabinet. Use pure beeswax polish, this is essential, for proper care. You should contact us concerning antique clock repair.

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Buying an antique clock

If you’re looking to invest in an antique clocks it’s likely that you’ll require some guidance when considering your purchase.  To ensure you get the best quality antique clock at the most appropriate price, it will be helpful to take the following into consideration:

  1. What sort of price do you want to pay for the antique clock you are thinking of buying.  Consult an antique pricing guide to give you an idea of the price brackets you are looking at.
  2. Does the dealer offer a guarantee of authenticity?  An antique clock with such a guarantee is worth more.
  3. Is the clock’s movement in good working order?  You will pay more for a working antique clock, however if you were to buy a non-working clock the difference will probably not be as high as getting it repaired after the sale.
  4. Does the antique clock have any distinguishing marks, such as a signature or label that connects it to a well-known manufacturer or clock maker? Antique clocks are worth more with these marks but beware of forgeries so ensure you get a written guarantee from the dealer.
  5. Set aside a decent amount of time to find your perfect antique clock at the perfect price.  Rushing to buy will often result in you paying over the odds for your antique clock.

Pendulum of Mayfair have years of experience to draw upon and we are happy to answer any of your queries when you are thinking of buying an antique clock.