Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 3/8/2008

Question
I have a Tempest Fugit Grandfather clock the is run with weights and pendulum.  
The clock does not run.  How does one get the clock to start, or how do you
wind the clock if that is necessary.  On the back is a mark FHS Germany

Answer
Tempest Fugit is Latin for "time flies" and was put on the dials of many clocks and has nothing to do with the maker of the case.
The movement was made by Franz Hermle and Sons in Germany (FHS) and should have a two number date for the year it was made on the back brass plate of the mechanism.

the weights hang on the chains and the heaviest goes on the right and the next heaviest in the center.You pull the weight to the top weekly by pulling down on the free end of each chain.

lots can go wrong but check this stuff and the other website from Howard Miller:  http://www.howardmiller.com/uploaded/SupportMaterials/Manuals/FloorClockManual.p...


The pendulum assembly begins at the top with a 1" two legged suspension spring pinned to a brass post sticking out of the back of the rear movement plate.
  Next a silver(probably) suspension leader about 5" long that hooks onto the bottom of the suspension spring and passes through the "foot" shaped forked brass piece (and must be in the center of the fork slot and not be rubbing front or back) that connects into the inside of the movement.
  Lastly the top of the pendulum hooks onto the bottom of this suspension leader. NOW if all is correctly assembled, swinging the pendulum will get it ticking. The sound of the ticking must sound even or balanced on either side. Not over-swinging one side or the other.
  If it is not sounding even, then push with your hand the top third of the pendulum over to the side that has the excessive overswing. You may feel some resistance but gently push a bit more then try the sound of the ticking after swinging the pendulum freely.
  If the sound is not improved in the balance then do more pushing -if it is now sounding like excessive swing in the opposite direction then push the pendulum to the other side till it sounds a pretty even tick. Clock should run then. .(There is a little slip clutch that you are adjusting when you push the "L" shaped foot to either side.)
  There are a hundred things that could be wrong- you have just taken a tour through the repair of what is wrong 98% of the time!
Up speeds the clock up ---down slows the clock down.
Make sure the bob or disk actually moves down and not only just the nut below it that you turned. You might mark the current location with a pencil or marker so you can be sure of the movement.