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Clocks, Watches/Seikosha
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Question
I have been given an old seikosha clock thst seems to be a wall mounted clock , it has a black painted cast iron body and has three fixing holes to screw it onto a wall its about 8 inches across , I have two questions if you dont mind , , as I dont know a lot about clocks , is it ok to take the face off it and blow all the dust out of it with an air hose , and do you have any idea what this clcok would be for , someone said it may be a nautical clock.
Steve, you did not say whether the clock was running or not. Removing the face and blowing it off with a low pressure air supply would not harm it, but I know of no reason to do this. Blowing some dust off will not really help anything. If it is not running, the symptoms need to be addressed when the clock is serviced. If it hasn't been serviced in the last 7 to 10 years then it is about time to have it done. If you can send a clear digital photo of the clock to my shop email address below, I might be able to identify it. The name Seikosh is Japanese.
John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama
klokdok@juno.com
Note: Because of the number of Allexpert questions and follow ups,
and the excessive backlog in my shop, I regret that I can only answer
the Allexperts related questions in a timely manner.
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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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