Expert: Martin Meyer - 11/16/2009

Question
I have several tall clocks with Hermle movements. On one of them, the familiar ratcheting sound when winding the hour weight disappeared a couple of weeks ago. Now, it no longer ratchets at all. It appears that the problem is inside the barrel. Am I on the right track? I cannot see the barrel number without dismantling the movement. Can you point me in the right direction for obtaining a new barrel (if that is the problem)?
Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hi Roland,

When you say "it no longer ratchets at all" I don't know if you mean that it is jammed and the crank will not turn, or if the ratchet does not hold the weight up, and the weight remains all the way down.

A barrel number is not necessary to order a new barrel. The click and clickspring (ratchet mechanism) is mounted on the side of the barrel. It consists of a ratchet pawl, a flat spring which holds it against the ratchet wheel, and the saw-toothed ratchet wheel itself. If the problem is in the center barrel, the click will be harder to see, due to the maintaining power wheel.

Some barrels are removable without disassembling the entire movement, and some are not. I think the 1171 is, but Hermle has made changes in many models recently, and I can't give you specific instructions on how to do it. The last one I worked on had a square plate which held the barrel arbor in, and could be unscrewed to remove the barrel. The "stopworks" on this movement is problematic to work on. This is the two steel gears on the front plate, one on the barrel arbor, the other right next to it and engaging it. If you assemble these two gears incorrectly, the weight will only wind up part way, or will only go down part way before it stops the pendulum, strike or chime, depending on which barrel is the problem. Setting up the stopworks is, unfortunately, well beyond the scope of this forum.

Cable drums are available from Black Forest Imports (www.blackforestimports.com). All you will need to know is the model number of your movement and which drum (time, strike or chime) you need. http://www.clockmasteronline.com