Expert: Martin Meyer - 6/22/2008

Question
I have a Gilbert kitchen clock mfg. date 1906. It does not keep the correct time. How do I make adjustments? My Grandfather never showed me and now he has passed away. Thank you for help.

Answer
Hi Paul,

To adjust the timekeeping rate, turn the regulating nut at the bottom of the pendulum to the left, that is, unscrewing it slightly to lower the pendulum disk, to make the clock run slower. Do the reverse to increase the clock's timekeeping rate. Note that the pendulum disk is sometimes tight on the pendulum rod, and you must make sure that the disk also lowers when you lower the nut.

Regulating adjustments should be made after the clock is fully wound, as far as it will go. Mainspring-driven clocks run a bit faster when fully wound, and a bit slower at the end of their weekly running period. Thus, you should run the clock for the full week before noting the timekeeping error and making another adjustment. In this way, you can average out the rate error so that the clock is accurate over a weekly period, but runs a bit fast when fully wound and a bit slow when almost unwound.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com