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Question
Just received nice Harrington House mantel clock from partents. Wound it up and it is keeping time but not chimming. The face has three spots to wind. Maybe winding wrong way? In the back it says: Two(2) Jewels Unadjusted Made in Germany 340-020. also in side the back is the name Franz Hermil. Can you help instruct on how to get the chime working and/or how to and when to (8 day?) wind clock? Thanks so much.
Meg, Harrington House was the top line of the Emperor Clock Company clocks. These clocks did not come in kits but were sold by dealers. The movement in your clock was built by Hermle and is an 8-day Westminster chime with a balance wheel rather than a pendulum regulator. The mainsprings are wound in the clockwise direction and usually require 6 to 7 complete turns from a fully wound down condition. When a definite resistance is felt when winding, a mainspring is fully wound. The left mainspring powers the strike, the center is for the time and the right one is for the chime. The chime mainspring will have more resistance as it is larger. Being an 8-day clock, it is wound once a week on the day of your choosing. If the chime is not working, the strike should not either, as it depends on the chime completing its complete hourly cycle. Sometimes the chime hammers are restricted from striking and the strike would function, but this rare. Also check for a lever on the dial at the "3" position. Some have this lever which has the "chime/silent" positions. If it is in the silent position, it will not chime or strike. If everything is in order and it still doesn't chime, it could have gummy lubricants and/or worn parts. If this is the case, it would need to be serviced, which would include cleaning, inspecting for worn or broken or worn parts, repairing them, lubricating, adjusting and testing. I recommend servicing about ever 7 to 10 years. If this is the case, it might be best to have it looked at by an experienced clockmaker. If you don't know of one near you, let me know of the area in which you live and I'll check to see if there are any of our Internet Clocksmiths Group near you.
John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama
klokdok@juno.com
(Due to the number of Allexperts questions and
the workload I have at my clock shop, I regret
that I cannot answer personal email questions on a timely basis
other than Allexperts follow ups.)
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Answers by Expert:
John Newman
Expertise
As much as I would like to offer values of clocks, I am not a certified appraiser and will not venture into giving an unresearched guess. There is very little published information on what I consider to be the value of "modern production clocks". Considerations are what the clock originally sold for, the condition of the case and movement, and particularly the area in which you live, the demand and the economy. ALSO, WATCHES ARE NOT MY FIELD. However, I can advise the clock owner on proper maintenance of a clock to keep it running, small corrections and adjustments and how to move a clock without damaging it. I can also advise on obtaining parts for clocks. It helps if you can send any information on the clock movement which is usually found on the back plate of the movement. I have been a clockmaker for about 35 years and was plant engineer in the mid 90's and later operations and engineering consultant at Emperor Clock Company in Fairhope, Alabama. I now have my own clock shop.
Experience
One of my greatest accomplishments was traveling to China to assist a clock factory in building clocks to the standards which we required. With the proper specifications and quality control, some beautiful clock cases were built. The factory people from the wood carvers to the plant manager were very congenial, friendly and I left a lot of wonderful friends when I returned from my trips.
Organizations
Chamber of Commerce
Small Business Committee
Publications
Horological Times, a publication of the American Watch and Clockmakers Instute. Collaberated column author, with Photos and ideas for clock movement conversion article.
Education/Credentials
Associate of Science Mechanical Engineering Technology
Emperor Introductory Clock Repair (Eventually taught a portion of the class after becoming employee)
Awards and Honors
Small Business of the Quarter (Prattville, Alabama)
Leadership Class of 2009 (Autauga County, Alabama)
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