Expert: Martin Meyer - 6/4/2009

Question
I have a small wall pendulum (WELBY) clock with chimes.  It's about 20yrs. old and uses an 1.5V battery.  The mechanism has broken down and I've been unable to get it repaired.  I wonder if there is a way (or a place) to buy this mechanism.

Answer
Hi Andy,

It is very unlikely that a 20 year old battery movement would still be available, but it is possible that you could replace it with a new quartz movement. There is a wide assortment of quartz movements available from any good clock supply house, such as Timesavers (www.timesavers.com) or Merritts Antiques (www.merritts.com). You will need to consider size, so that the new movement fits in your clock; features, that is, a pendulum and a chime; hand shaft length, which must be the same as the original; and handshaft diameter, which must fit in the hole in the dial in your clock. Your original hands may or may not fit. If they do not, there is a wide assortment of hands for quartz movements ("I-shaft" hands).  http://www.clockmasteronline.com