Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 1/17/2008

Question
dear tom,

     hi my name is steve and i recently acquired a ridgeway mantel clock from a friend my question is pretty simple im trying to date the clock the only # on it is 514918 the top is octagon in shape its pretty plain cathedral looking with roman numerals on the face it has two key holes. i have the original key and it keeps time very well,with the exception that when it strikes 11:00 it chimes only 6 times and so on when its 1:00 it will chime 11 times etc.. so its off there. it does have a pedulum and hermle movement i talked to ridgeway but they do not have any info. so any information would be great.

                                     thank you
                                       steve

Answer
move the hour hand (short one) to agree and point at the number on the dial the same as the number of strikes the clock bongs. Reset the correct time with the minute hand as usual. the back brass plate of the mechanism may have numbers and date code stamped there..Hermle quit putting the year of manufacture on the back of their clocks in 1988- buyers of clocks made by furniture companies like Howard Miller , etc were getting upset customers to complain that the date on the movement did not match sometimes the year they bought the clock (what with shipping, handling, build time, storage and time on the retail showroom floor, etc.)

 Hermle started in 1988 coding the date with letters
A = 1988