Expert: Martin Meyer - 1/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: Folks,
Is it possilble to identify the manufactured year for my clock by it's serial number (C3921)?   I have begun asking around to get it running.  It's our first free standing clock so please excuse my ignorance.
Your help would be appreciated.

ANSWER: Hi Wes,

I apologize for the delay in getting back to you.

You may be able to identify the manufacturing year by contacting Howard Miller (www.howardmiller.com/ or (616) 772-7277). The Barwick line has not been manufactured for a number of years, so this information may not be available.

Another possibility is to identify the manufacturing year of the clock's movement. On two of the three major movement manufacturers' movements (Hermle and Kieninger), there is a date or date code. If you send me a follow up question with all information stamped on the back plate of the movement, I will try to identify the year. If the movement number begins with "UW" (Urgos), I will not be able to provide any information, but otherwise I can probably help. The year of manufacture of the movement is usually the same, or one year earlier, than the manufacturing date of the clock. http://www.clockmasteronline.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much Martin!

It sounds like I got unlucky and have the 3rd, non-identifiable Urgos type of movement.  However, here are all of the identifiable marks on the back of the movement;
UW32/1
340116
Howard Miller Clock Company
Zeeland, Michigan
Made in Germany
0101 Jewels UNADJUSTED

That final line was very hard for the wife and I to read so there may be an error there.

Additionally, the chimes (top of the hanging rods) had the following identifier:  B122/27

I have not as yet called the Howard Miller phone number that you provided.

Thanks again,

Wes

Answer
Hi again Wes,

Here is an answer from Mark Butterworth, posted in the NAWCC forum. I believe that this is the most authoritative information available:

I neglected to mention regarded the dating of Urgos movements that unfortunately the material connecting the serial number of the movement to exact dating was destroyed when the factory moved around 1990.
As a general rule, the manual beat set units were used until the mid 1970's depending on the model. They are designated by the letter "A" at the end of the UW #. e.g. UW32/1A. When the auto beat units were introduced, the letter was changed to "B" and other letters followed through the years with further engineering changes. Although the internal parts do not all interchange, the units as a whole will.