Expert: William J Perkins - 6/24/2009

Question
I acquired a Seth Thomas No. 124 clock in great shape except someone has gotten the chime train completely out of whack. Sometimes it runs without stopping or in various start and stops. Never in sync. Time and hour work fine. How can I get chime side back in sync? And proper Westminster chime?

Answer
The ST 124 has, what is called, a self correcting lever.  It should have gone into business by itself.  I suspect a pin, lever or tooth has gone out of alignment and will have to be corrected manually.  Whatever the problem is, it would most likely be located in the gears etc., that are located between the dial and the movements front plate.  If you can gain access to this area you might be able to detect the problem and correct it yourself, however, I recommend you have it done by a qualified clock repair person.  As you describe it, I suspect the problem is rather minor.  Regards WJP